The Hanging Tree
by Northernstar99
Summary: Mysterious Elizabeth Graham, sister to Will Graham and a detective is forced into being a Criminal Profiler for the Baltimore FBI team. When Hannibal Lecter meets her...well, she manages to grasp his interest in the Graham siblings rather quickly. He could see a darkness in her eyes, hanging onto her like a child to its mother, she was a mystery to him that he wanted to cut open
1. Chapter 1

"Baltimore?" her friend, Meredith Hopkins questioned curiously as she crossed her arms over her chest. She gave a light chuckle and threw her chocolate silk curls back over her shoulder and narrowed her sapphire colored eyes. She was a very beautiful in Elizabeth's opinion. She always had all of the boys chasing after her. Meredith actually liked seducing men and having sex…sometimes though, that girl was way too open about her sex-life.

Elizabeth snorted just thinking about when they were in high school and how Meredith was rivals with this one ginger girl who was trying to ruin Meredith's life because her boyfriend couldn't keep his privates in his pants.

Elizabeth didn't actually know how she became friends with Meredith. It just happened like most things in her life. Trouble for one thing.

"Why are you leaving the sun for a grey waste of land?" Meredith chuckled.

Elizabeth grunted as she stuffed the rest of her bags into the trunk of her worn out yellow beetle, slamming the trunk close quickly. "I got a job offer there."

"Really? Where?"

"They transferred me to the FBI unit for a Criminal Profiler and all that. I'm a Detective after all so yes, it does concern me when they personally ask me to be there. It's not like I had a choice," she grumbled.

"So you accepting that job offer has nothing to with you checking up on Will right?"

"Yes, because I would just up and move away from the life that I've known for years just to keep an eye on him in case he breaks," Elizabeth said sarcastically.

Meredith raised an eyebrow expectantly at her. "You would if something was happening with him."

"Will is fine…I think."

"How?" Meredith inquired with interest and curiosity.

"Okay! You win! I-I just have this feeling that something isn't right," Elizabeth confessed after sighing.

"Some freaky twin telepathy thing, right?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Yeah so you better not try to strangle me in my sleep for taking one of your shirts or something or my brother will come get you."

Meredith chuckled and shook her head. "Oh, come on, you and I both know that Will doesn't need a reason to kill me. He'd do it for free if given the choice, Lizzie."

Elizabeth sighed. "Why do you two hate each other so much? You're both so rude and nasty to each other. I mean you two suck the joy out of opening presents on Christmas morning every time and you know how I love Christmas."

"It's not my fault," Meredith replied stubbornly. "He always starts it with his glares and the fucking narrowing of his eyes, Lizzie."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at that because Will had said almost the exact same thing about her friend just two days prior which was strange actually. "Someday you two are going to get married or some shit and you know what? I am going the gloat the entire time because I was right."

"I'd rather let a homeless man fuck me than your brother if we're being honest."

Meredith yelped and fell off of the ledge as Elizabeth had thrown a pillow from her car at the girl's head.

"Don't you dare talk about my brother that way, Meredith Charles Hopkins," Elizabeth scolded.

Meredith rubbed her head as she scowled. "Okay, jeez, sorry. Forgot how weirdly protective you two can be over each other."

Elizabeth shrugged. "We've always been that way for as long as I can remember. Well, if you need me, Mer, I'll be in Wolf Trap...and Baltimore."

Meredith quickly wrapped her arms around her tightly, hugging her. "You better be okay over there or I'll kick Will's ass, Lizzie. I would go fucking crazy if I lost you."

Elizabeth smiled and hugged her back. "I know. I'll miss you too."

The two girls pulled away, Elizabeth put a curl of blonde hair behind her ear, sighing. "I know he needs me there. You know about the last time that he slipped up, Mer."

"I think the whole world knows how unstable-"

"Meredith, don't." Elizabeth's words were sharp as she snapped at her friend. All of her life people had call Will by so many names luckily he was tough-skinned and able to take on the heat. But that didn't stop Elizabeth from beating them, her control slipping through her fingertips whenever her temper got the best of her. It was as if the sophisticated and polite Elizabeth had mentally been put to sleep for a couple of minutes, and an alternate person-her evil doppelganger to say had come alive in that moment.

That part of her frightened her to her very core.

Meredith nodded with a grim look on her face. "You know I worry about you with him."

"Then don't," she said with a hint of coldness in her voice. "Don't worry about me. I always have my gun near me. In my boot, remember?"

Meredith nodded again and replied, "Well, still. I feel like when you leave…never mind. I'm just being silly is all."

Elizabeth smiled and then turned to go to her car, stepping into the car with a loud sigh. She turned on the ignition and made her way to Baltimore, Maryland.

 _Here we go._

* * *

Elizabeth Graham almost looked like her brother, Will, but only in the eyes.

Everything else about them was completely different. It was ironic how different the two were since they were twins. Will being born first by two minutes. Elizabeth had long almost golden curly hair, she was pretty with fair skin and defining cheekbones with full lips that were kissable enough to get any man.

She liked reading books-books were her favorite. She always had her nose stuck in a book. When she was young, most boys would say that it was a shame she rather spend her time curling up with a good book than going out and acting her own age. Even as Elizabeth had looked out of her window while reading a book when she was sixteen, she had seen boys her age running down the street acting like frat boys, she was not tempted to join them for some reason.

She never had the urge or the need as well.

Elizabeth was repeating her reading of "The Great Gatsby" again. It was in her top five novels along with the classic "Pride & Prejudice". She had her eyes down on the page as she walked into the building where her job would be and where she would be meeting an Agent Jack Crawford to discuss what it was that she was even doing here in the first place.

She shivered slightly and pulled her read leather jacket closer to her body as she was wearing a light blue long sleeved shirt with a white tank top underneath it with jeans and brown combat books. She bit her lip as she got to the part where Nick and Gatsby finally met at his party. Just as Gatsby was going to say his famous line, she bumped into a hard chest that actually smelled very nice…and really good.

Elizabeth would have fallen flat on her butt if strong hands hadn't wrapped themselves around her upper arms, holding her still. She shook herself out of the dizziness and shock of the situation. She looked up into maroon eyes and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, guess I should've watched where I was going, huh?" She joked then chuckled nervously since he was staring at her silently.

Elizabeth gulped and then inquired, "Are you okay?"

Whatever it was that was clouding his mind was suddenly gone as he blinked twice and then smiled courteously at her. "Yes. I am perfectly fine."

"I'm sorry again, Mr…"

"Dr. Lecter," he answered. "Hannibal Lecter."

The man in front of her could be described as insanely handsome, but also well-groomed and looked fantastic in a suit. _But boy can that man work a suit and those cheekbones my god- oh, my, God what is wrong with me?! I just barely met him and am already having inappropriate thoughts about him._

"Well, Dr. Lecter, I again am very sorry."

"Do you apologize often?" he asked curiously.

Elizabeth knitted her brows in confusion. "Why does that matter? I was only being polite to you. That is all, Doctor."

Her eyes saw her book on the ground and looked at it, wondering why his hands were still on her and haven't let her go yet. Dr. Lecter looked to where she was looking and bent down, stepping away from her and picking up the book, glancing at it.

"Fitzgerald? Interesting man."

"More like a realism kind of man to how he perceives society, Doctor. Even though I do believe that some of the novel's aspects were based on his life with his wife."

"How so, Miss…"

She smiled. "I don't mean to be rude, but I don't give my name out to strangers, Dr. Lecter. I may be a blonde, but I am definitely not dumb."

"Cautious," he clarified with a small curve upwards of his lips. "What is he to you?"

"He's one of my favorite authors."

"One of your favorites? Who's the first?"

She smiled softly. "I would have to say that it would be Stephen King, I always liked mysteries and a thriller. Then it would be Mark Twain sometimes. He's tied with another author at the moment."

"Who made you fall in love with literature?" Dr. Lecter asked curiously.

She pulled away from him and grabbed the book out of his hand. "If we are to meet again, Doctor, then I'll answer your question. It was lovely meeting you, good-bye."

She stepped around him and felt his eyes burning into her as she quickly walked towards the lengthy building cluttered together. She walked up the steps and went inside of the front building, glancing around in thought as she looked for some type of symbol or information to lead her to where the agent was.

She turned a corner and walked down a long empty hallway, suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she felt like she was being followed. Her stomach felt like it was tied up in knots as she tired to keep the pace of her heart normal and her walk usual, but her back straightened against her will in defense. Elizabeth whirled around quickly and found nothing, but an empty hall that was as silent as a crypt.

Her heart was pumping in her ears and against her chest, her palms sweaty. She hadn't had that kind of eerie feeling crawling up her spine since her last case. It nearly tore her apart.

A hand stretched out behind Elizabeth and went for her shoulder.

Elizabeth screamed in fright.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **Well, this is my first time doing a Hannibal story so I really hope you guys like for what I have in store for this story and its characters. Elizabeth looks like Jennifer Lawrence in case you were wondering. I hoped you liked this chapter!**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	2. Chapter 2

A hand reached out behind Elizabeth and went for her shoulder.

Elizabeth screamed in fright.

Elizabeth whirled around and saw that it was Agent Jack Crawford, he had his hands towards her as if in defense.

"Detective Elizabeth Graham?" he asked.

Elizabeth smiled in relief and put her hand on her chest, sighing heavily. "Yes, Agent Crawford."

"I apologize if I frightened you. You seem jumpy…are you okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing, but nerves. I'll live." She brushed off and looked around, seeing that now there were people coming back into the hall as if was ordinary.

"Does this building have classes in session?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, we do. Our trainees. Why?"

She opened her mouth to explain to him about the eerie feeling she felt with the hallway, but then decided against it. "Curious is all, Agent Crawford."

"Please call me Jack." Jack replied and he seemed like he didn't believe her for a moment as his facial expression had showed it, but then he didn't. "Well, come with me then to my office. You need to get caught up on the recent murders."

"Murders?" Elizabeth questioned. "Is that why I am here for?"

"Mostly yes. You have something in common with these murders." Jack told her which caused her eyebrow to arch up in surprise.

As they walked towards his office, she inquired, "And what exactly is that?"

Jack didn't answer her as he opened the door and gestured with his hand for her to enter. She smiled at him as she walked into the office, then her smiled slowly dropped as she saw the boards which scattered across the room. There was so much blood and death just on one photo of someone or well, of many someones.

"Shit," she whispered then shook her head. "Sorry for my French, but-"

"No need. Shit is one of the many words used to describe these."

Elizabeth walked closer into the room as Jack closed the door behind her; she went to every board and closely inspected the post-it notes attached to the photos with information beside it as well. "The Chesapeake Ripper? He must love the name."

"How so?"

She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. "He's living up to it. He's growing more brutal by ripping them more apart, but he still manages to keep the elegance within his work. He's narcissistic. He likes the attention you're giving him."

"Elegance. You think ripping someone apart is elegance."

She shook her head. "I don't. But he does. To him, it's art. His design-his creation or something. Why am I here?"

"Like I said, you've seen this before. The Bayard Butcher," Jack replied as he came to stand in front of her. Elizabeth stiffened at the name they gave him…her most famous act.

"He was a sociopath. This," she pointed to each of the boards furiously then scoffed. "He's a First Class psychopath. He's…he's been at this for a long time. He kills them because they are considered pigs in his eyes."

"He thinks they are disgusting," Jack added.

"Below life. He has a reason to kill them," Elizabeth told him. "Now The Bayard Butcher was almost like the ripper, but he was more violent and spontaneous with his victims, he liked being close to them-stalking them. The Ripper doesn't form attachments to them on purpose because then it would be harder to catch him. He likes the chase…a tease."

Jack nodded and put his hands in his pockets and then handed her a badge. "Your credentials. You're now apart of the FBI, Agent Graham."

Elizabeth hesitantly took it and saw her information on there. _It was official_ , she thought _, I can't go back now._

She put the badge in her jacket and glanced towards the door which opened.

"Elizabeth?" Will questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted fresh eyes on this or actually eyes that have seen this kind of case before." Jack answered.

"And why is my sister here? She shouldn't have to see this," Will said as he and another woman came more into the room, closing the door.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I'm a big girl, Will, I can handle a little bit of blood and death, remember?"

"You're Detective Elizabeth Graham," the brunette haired woman asked.

"Yes, I am." Elizabeth answered.

"You were the one that caught The Bayard Butcher," she said. "I remember reading about that case, it was international. In the UK, right?"

She nodded. "Yes and I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

"I'm Dr. Alana Bloom," Alana answered and they shook hands.

"Ah, yes, Will's told me about you. I hear you are very intelligent and a friend to my brother. Thank you for that."

"My sister likes to meddle against people's wishes not to, it's a nasty habit that she really needs to break," he said to Alana.

"And my brother thinks that just because he was born two minutes before me that I need protecting even though he saw what I did to the kids who used to pick on him," she snapped calmly.

Alana tried not to smile as Will glared at his sister.

"Why is she here?" Will asked again.

"Jack already told you, brother."

Will scoffed. "I love you, Lizzie, but I know you. I know you are here to keep on eye on me."

Elizabeth scoffed this time. "Oh please, I wouldn't give up the life I had just because Jack told me to. If you know me then you know that I am tenacious when it comes to my career and solving a case hence the no husband waiting at home thing."

Will let himself smiled at her words. "You would drive him crazy no doubt about that."

"Straight to Hell I bet," Alana mused.

"Yes so I would warn any of your male friends to steer clear of me," Elizabeth said then pointed to another board hidden in the corner. "Now what is that? More murders."

"The Copycat Killer," Jack responded. "Someone has been copying our cases. Their poses, the types, and everything else in between."

Elizabeth was quite for a moment before saying, "He's close. He knows every single little thing about murders, right?"

"It would seem so," Will answered. "It is sounds like he wants us to know that he knows. He seems to enjoy seeing us struggle to place him somewhere."

"He's clever." Elizabeth added. "Are you guys sure that it's a male and not a female?"

"Males tend to be more violent in killings and show no interest or emotional attachment to the victims while females are the opposite and show more emotions towards them," Alana replied. "They have an emotional attachment."

Elizabeth sighed. "I need to go, Jack. I have a lot of homework it seems."

Jack nodded and then walked over to his desk, handing the files to her. "Here. This is all we have on the ripper."

"Thanks. I'll take a look over them tonight and report in the morning or the afternoon probably," Elizabeth said distractedly as she was already looking down at the information in one of the files.

Will smiled and said to all of them, "I hope you're happy since you've just awoken a workaholic monster."

Without glancing up, Elizabeth had smacked Will in the arm which made him rub it. "Where are you staying?"

"I have a house in Baltimore, but also near Virginia," she explained. "It was the only small house on a quite street that I could afford."

"I'll drive you over there," Will told her, his voice holding no room for argument.

"Alright even though I drove here. Good-bye Jack and Dr. Bloom, it was lovely to meet the both of you." Elizabeth said before the siblings walked out of the room, then the buildings.

"Why did you agree to work for Jack," Will asked once they got to the car. "I doubt it was only for the money."

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "I am worried about you, but-"

"I knew it," Will practically gloated in an irritated way. "You always do this! You and everyone else think that I can't handle this."

"Let me finish, you asswipe," she snapped angrily at him, fury in her eyes. "My Captain told me to come over here. She said that I was being transferred and had no choice in the matter. Jack is now my boss only because I have experience in cases like The Ripper, remember?"

Will looked down in shame and looked back up at her, of course never making eye contact with her. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to push you, Lizzie. It's just that…that…"

"Oh, no," she whispered.

Will immediately got into the car and she followed hastily, looking at her brother. "I thought you said that you drove here?"

"I did, but first we need to talk."

"We'll talk at your house. I'll follow you," Will promised.

Elizabeth pursed her lips and felt like arguing with him, but nodded reluctantly. She got out of the car and went to her own; looking in the rear view mirror once she was driving on the road to see if Will was still following her. Elizabeth's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly causing her knuckles to turn white as she feared that Will was truly hanging onto reality by a wear thread that someone could easily cut with kid scissors.

Elizabeth shivered a little at the coldness of the state that she was in, but yet she loved the cold winter and its darkness. She thrived in the winter and felt at ease almost with it. It seemed to calm her every time.

They pulled up a sophisticated neighborhood which held elegant and expensive houses on each side, all of them extraordinary in length, size, and texture. You could easily tell that someone wealthy had lived in each of them. Then there was her house which was that one house that had always had a FOR SALE sign on the lawn, but no one seemed to want to buy it.

The house looked out of place, taking the form of a farmhouse much like Will's actually. It had only two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen, living room, and cupboard. Every room seemed awfully small, but that is what she really liked about it. It had a large lawn and a pathway of stones leading up to the steps to the door. The needed a lot of work done, but Elizabeth looked forward to that.

Elizabeth pulled into the driveway and got out of the car as she saw Will analyzing her new home.

"So? What do you think?" she asked excitedly.

Will opened and closed his mouth a few times before nodding firmly. "I…it has character."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I know it's a mess, but it's going to be my new project. I'm going to fix it up."

"Oh, good-I mean good job of course."

"You mean good luck, you idiot," Elizabeth mused then they walked up the path.

"You're losing reality again aren't you?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Lizzie-"

"Don't you 'Lizzie' me. This has happened before." Elizabeth warned him worriedly.

"I-You know I don't like to talk about that," Will told her, tensing up a little.

"Just tell me something, Will. Are you talking to someone about this?"

"I've made a friend for your information," Will informed her.

"A friend," she questioned then smiled. "Who? Is it Alana? I hope it's her because I think you two make a cute couple."

Will rolled her eyes. "It's ironic how you don't want to get set up with anyone and yet here you are trying to set me up with someone else."

"I want you to be happy and at peace."

"And I want the same for you as well," Will agreed. "But right now we need to focus our attention on the cases at hand."

"I guess, but you must tell me the name of your new friend. You seem to like him-trust him even…should I be worried?"

Will chuckled nervously and readjusted his glasses. "Lizzie, I-"

"Will!" a voice called from behind her.

Will smiled at the person and replied, "Hannibal."

Elizabeth knitted her brows in confusion and turned at the sound of someone walking up the steps. There walking towards her was none other than Hannibal Lecter.

The man that she had bumped into earlier and promised to tell him her favorite author the next time she saw him…and he knew Will, her brother.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEW, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! So next chapter will tell where in the series that the story is set in and a certain meeting between a cannibal and blonde detective/agent and Hannibal becomes very interested in the siblings so stay tuned. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth didn't like surprises. They were worse than those pop out jack-in-the-box toys that had nice music to it and then BAM! Some clown pops out at you, smiling like The Joker. _What kind of wacko creates that kind of toy seriously?! How can this be a child's toy?!_

 _I remember when we were packing for a vacation and I needed to go to the bathroom. So I came back to my room a few minutes later and Will screamed hysterically at me when he suddenly jumped out of my suitcase. He was only eight at the time. That little shit could fit into the most impossible places. He was so small at the time. Will liked to scare me when we were young and every time I had cried my eyes out to our father. Luckily, he had stopped when he had turned eleven._

So imagine how she felt as she watched Dr. Lecter stroll up her pathway, looking at her the entire time he did. Elizabeth didn't like it when people stared at her especially men. She didn't like to be someone's center of attention. The way he stared at her…it was like she was some strange thing he had never seen before in his life and yet he wanted to inspect his findings further more on. It almost frightened her.

Almost.

Because of Will, she wasn't so easily scared now.

"Hannibal," Will greeted politely, managing to give the man a smile which was surprising for Elizabeth to witness. "Lizzie, this is Dr. Hannibal Lector, the friend that I was telling you about."

Hannibal gave her a charming yet polite smile which she returned with her own nervous smile as they shook hands.

"Hi."

"Will, I believe I have already met her in the parking lot of the Baltimore FBI building just early this morning." Hannibal told Will.

"Really? She didn't mention that."

Hannibal chuckled. "She refused to tell me her name though, Will."

Will chuckled and then took off his glasses, cleaning them with a handkerchief he had in his pocket. "Yeah…she doesn't trust people."

"She is standing right here, Willy," she sang.

"I know," he sang back. Hannibal looked between them back and forth. "Hannibal, this is my younger sister, Elizabeth."

"Lizzie for short," Elizabeth said.

"Elizabeth," he tested the name on his tongue and it sounded so different with his accent. She wondered where this strange man was from actually. "I didn't you had a sister, Will."

"Oh, well…um"

"We're half siblings," She elaborated. "Twins born with different fathers."

"Heteropaternal superfecundation. It is extremely rare with mothers," Hannibal answered.

Will stiffened and so did Elizabeth. Neither of them liked talking about her father and their mother…they weren't good people. If anything, Will is always her full blooded brother and nothing less than that. She thought of Will's father and she thought that same way about him always being her father. Nothing could change that.

"I'm sorry if I offended you in some way, Elizabeth," Hannibal said sympathetically, sensing her discomfort.

Elizabeth shook her head. "You didn't. Please call me Lizzie. Everyone does except the people who hate me of course."

"I imagine that is not a long list."

"You wouldn't be saying that if I arrested you, Dr. Lecter."

"Elizabeth, please call me Hannibal."

"Call me Lizzie and I'll call you Hannibal."

Hannibal's lips curved slightly though his eyes said something entirely different, but he masked that quickly so she couldn't study as well. "You drive a hard bargain I can see. Just like Will."

"Hannibal, do you live next door," she asked nervously.

"Yes, I do. I was taking out the trash when I saw Will here…and you." Hannibal explained.

"Interesting," Elizabeth replied softly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You two must come join me for dinner," Hannibal politely proposed.

Elizabeth and Will simultaneously responded,

"We can't."

"We would love to."

Elizabeth turned towards Will and pursed her lips. "Well, I'm sorry, Dr. Lecter, but I can't. I have plans this evening that require my attention."

"I hope it's nothing bad for you," Hannibal told her though she didn't believe it, but Will did.

"I'm sorry again, but I have a date tonight."

"A date?" Will questioned incredulously. "You just got here."

"Well, I have a boyfriend, Will," she confessed to him. "It's new."

"What's his name?"

Elizabeth scoffed. "Last time I told you his name, you got in a fist fight with him."

"In my defense, he wasn't a good guy and was using you." Will defended himself.

"No, he wasn't, Will. He was just misunderstood is all."

"Misunderstood?" Will snapped in disbelief and amusement. "Coming from the woman who actually slapped my ex-girlfriend because she started a rumor about me."

"I was defending your honor in a way…and besides I really hated that girl. She was mean to every one she met and picked on kids. She was so rude to people-it was so disgusting and she deserved what she got," Elizabeth pointed out to Will.

After a moment, Hannibal asked, "Do you both often go to violence to resolve your issues?"

She knitted her brows in confusion. "Are you a…is he a psychiatrist, Will?!"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Will, your friend-you know what we'll talk about this later. I have to go get ready so can you both please leave," she sighed heavily, feeling tired all of the sudden. She was about to crash in shorter terms.

Will nodded. "Alright, but later we were gonna talk about your new boyfriend or something."

Elizabeth smirked. "You aren't getting shit from me, Graham."

"We'll see."

Hannibal gave a nod to her and then said, "I hope we meet again soon…Elizabeth."

Hannibal watched her for a moment then followed Will as they walked over to his large house which happened to be next door to her small home. Elizabeth let out a relieved breath through her mouth and thought, _they bought the boyfriend part. Just got to play the part and then I'm home free._

Elizabeth went to her car and quickly turned it on, driving away from the house and towards the store, Bed, Bath, and Beyond to find supplies for her new home.

* * *

 **THE NEXT DAY**

Elizabeth knocked on the door and silently hoped that no one was there.

Hannibal opened the door and seemed surprised for a moment, but as quickly as it came, it just as swiftly went away and his expression was a genuine amusement of some sorts. "Elizabeth?"

"Dr. Lecter," she greeted. "May I come in? That is if you aren't seeing anyone at the moment?"

Hannibal shook his head. "No, I don't have another appointment until three in the afternoon."

Hannibal stood closer to the door as a silent gesture for confirmation to go inside. Elizabeth smiled graciously and walked pass him. As she did, Hannibal managed to catch a whiff of her sweet scent. She smelled of roses mixed in with the scent of lavender. The scent was rather intoxicating for Hannibal since he had never smelled anything like it.

Hannibal Lecter loved the way Elizabeth Graham smelled like. Her scent filled his head in waves, distracting him completely. Hannibal didn't like distraction- he couldn't like them. They were completely wrong and unethical.

She smelled delicious.

Hannibal closed the door behind him and asked, "What's your poison?"

"None. I tend to not drink alcohol."

"Why is that?"

"When I'm like that way, I lose control-become vulnerable. I like being in control of myself."

"Control seems very valuable to you, Elizabeth. Would you say that you like dominance over others?"

"No, not really. I always thought that I was little different than people my age." Elizabeth explained. "I need to talk to someone about Will. I'm worried about my brother."

"Yes, I am as well."

"You can tell me anything about Will because I know that you're not really his therapist, right?"

"You are correct, Elizabeth. "He's a troubled man."

"I sometimes think that I know who he is and then the next moment he's a completely different person like a switch has been either turned on or off at some point in their life. It was…well, I honestly don't know how to perceive it as, Dr. Lecter."

Hannibal observed the woman who wore a mask of emotion like he did. Perhaps there is some kind of small hope for humanity after all. "Are you sure you want to talk about Will?"

She nodded firmly. "Yes, I do. He's my brother and I need to know what's going on with him."

"Sometimes what frightens us can be confused with our interests in them," Hannibal said cryptically. "We know that they are dangerous…and yet we can't seem to stay away from them."

"I know the feeling."

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked curiously.

She smiled weakly at him. "Perhaps another time for that, Dr. Lecter. We need to discuss my brother."

Hannibal sighed. "I feel as though Jack Crawford is pushing your brother to his limit and I fear it is slowly breaking him as the hours pass by."

"Jack seems like that kind of man. Will is everything to me and I don't know what I'd do without him in my life." She confessed to Hannibal who had his eyes trained on her the entire time she spoke. "What else is there?"

Hannibal shrugged a little bit. "You and Will are both secretive people. You are much worse than he is in my opinion. Will tells me only what he wants to share, but slowly he's becoming friendly towards me and is becoming more open. He has dreams-nightmares of losing himself. He's losing time it seems, but with you being here, I think that it will be better."

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. "It was worse when we were young he became that way. It was like another person was taking over. I could see it in his eyes-so vivid and powerful in a way."

 _Just like yours…God, what's wrong with me?! i just barely met the girl._

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE SO COOL AND AWESOME THANKS SO MUCH! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REIVEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth didn't know what to do as she looked with calculation in her eyes at her kitchen table that was filled with the crime scene photos from the Chesapeake Ripper case. She circled the table with her hand holding her chin in thought.

 _What is this guy after_ , she kept on thinking over and over again. _He takes their organs as trophies which means that he does this for power over his victims. He likes to humiliate them because he thinks they're disgusting. What did they do to piss him off so much that he decided to play God with them?_

DING! DONG!

Elizabeth looked up from the table and walked over to the door with a quizzical expression placed onto her face. She slowed her stride when she saw that it was Hannibal. It had almost been a week since she'd seen him. She opened the door with a polite smile, greeting, "Dr. Lecter, what a surprise."

"So lovely to see you again, Elizabeth," Hannibal replied. "May I come inside?"

Having no choice, Elizabeth nodded and stepped aside. Hannibal walked into her home, glancing around with a look on his face she did not recognize, but she thought that maybe he was snooping around. His eyes lingered on the kitchen table which sat the photos.

"Any progress on the case yet?"

Elizabeth scoffed lightly. "Not likely actually. He's…this guy is kind of pissing me off a little bit and Dr. Lecter, you do not want to see me pissed off."

Hannibal chuckled and walked over to the table, eyeing the photos in deep thought. "How so?"

"He's smart that's for sure. He's so organized in his kills and there is no evidence left behind. He makes no kind of attachments which makes it harder to catch him since there is no kind of connection to him through the victim. I know that he likes power and dominance over his victims which is why he probably takes the organs and humiliates them in his own way. He's satisfied that he's getting away with it." Elizabeth explained. "He is…"

"He is what?" Hannibal asked from behind her.

"If I tell you this then you cannot repeat this to anyone, Dr. Lecter, promise?"

After a moment, Hannibal responded, "I promise, Elizabeth."

"He's amazing," Elizabeth said in slight awe. "He's been doing this for a long time and hasn't gotten caught. He's cunning especially with the way he poses them. I mean you remember the one with the various pieces of supplies stabbed inside of him. Except he planned each one of them. He made it seem like his murders are masterpieces or something. Art maybe."

Hannibal was silent for only a moment before saying, "You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

Elizabeth shook her head while chuckling then running a hand through her hair. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Dr. Lecter. You came over here wanting something, yes?"

Hannibal nodded. "I wanted to see if I can persuade you to come to dinner this evening."

"I'm sorry, but I can't, Dr. Lecter. I'm spending the evening with David. He's mad because I've been spending so much time on the cases with Jack and Will and not enough time with him."

Hannibal nodded again. "I am sorry for that. He shouldn't treat you like that. You deserve better."

"It's fine. David's always been needy for my attention."

"Is he controlling?"

Elizabeth was silent then she sighed when Hannibal asked carefully, "Elizabeth, is he controlling?"

"So what if he is?!" she snapped in frustration. She hated it when people tried to control her life. "All men are controlling in some way and so are women. I have seen and you have to."

Hannibal raised an eyebrow at how defensive she became. "What happened with your last relationship?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Lecter, but I don't want to talk about it," Elizabeth told him. "You have your secrets and I have mine."

Hannibal pursed his lips. "I apologize if I offended you. That was not my intention. I was just wondering why a strong woman as yourself would let a man dictate their life."

"I do not…he has his moments. I-I honesty just want it to work out with him, Dr. Lecter. I mean I've had a pretty bad run of relationships. I can't seem to catch a break," she sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"You think that if you can't make it with David then you will give up on being happy with someone else."

"I stopped believing in love a long time ago, Dr. Lecter. Have you ever been in love?"

Hannibal shook his head and confessed, "Never had the need to be."

"Good for you," Elizabeth said. "It sucks ass."

Hannibal laughed softly and a piece of hair fell into her eyes. He suddenly felt the need to move it behind her ear and caress her cheek. His finger itched to do the action yet they twitched and stayed by his side, never moving towards her or complying with his needs.

Elizabeth didn't notice Hannibal staring intently at her until she looked up from the table and found his eyes staring directly into her own. She didn't know what it was about his maroon eyes that drew her in, but they were beautiful that was sure. _I just barely met the man and yet I am already daydreaming about him. Maybe he is right about David and that I need someone better than him, but who?_

"Do you know why a raven is like a writing desk?" Elizabeth asked softly.

"A riddle," Hannibal mused. "You're asking me about a riddle right now?"

She nodded. "I've always wondered, but could never have the slightest idea why. I was wondering if you knew maybe. Curious I guess."

"So many riddles so little time. I think Alice tells the Mad Hatter in the book that 'I think you might do something better with the time than wasting it in asking riddles that have no answers', right?" Hannibal quoted with a smirk. "I read the book a long time ago. I have a good memory."

"Ah, that explains it," she drawled out. "Actually there is an answer to it. Lewis Carroll answered it by saying, 'Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front'. Originally, Carroll spelled 'never,' as 'nevar'. It was raven spelled backwards, but a proofreader erased the inverted pun before it was ever published," Elizabeth told him.

"Clever man," Hannibal praised. "So? What do you think about this evening for dinner at my house?"

Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously. "Dr. Lecter…are you asking me out on a date even when you know I'm with another?"

Hannibal looks in deep thought for a moment as he gazes down at her. "Yes. I am."

Elizabeth's brows raised up in surprise before sighing in defeat. "Fine. Why not?"

Hannibal smirked, replying, "Marvelous. Come at five in the evening then."

Elizabeth nodded and said, "Yes, I'll be there."

* * *

Elizabeth kept on fidgeting with her dress as she walked up the steps to Hannibal's house. She wore her hair down, straightened and her dress was crimson red with no sleeves and fitted her curves perfectly with black high heels. She bit her lip as she rang the doorbell and knocked on the door.

Not a moment later after she knocked did the door open to reveal Hannibal with an apron on him. He smiled politely at her.

"Elizabeth, welcome. Please come inside."

Hannibal stepped aside and Elizabeth walked in slowly, glancing around. "Dr. Lecter, you have a beautiful home."

"Here, let me get your coat," Hannibal said and moved his hands to her shoulders.

"Oh, thank you."

Elizabeth lets Hannibal take off her coat, his hands lingering as he took off her coat. She looked at all the different kinds of art pieces he had around his home. "Where did you get all these artifacts, Dr. Lecter?"

"Please, Elizabeth, call me Hannibal. No need for formality anymore," Hannibal dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Elizabeth smiled softly. "Sorry. It's a habit."

Hannibal placed his hand on the curve of her back and responded, "Don't worry. We all have our bad habits…some worse than others."

Elizabeth nodded and then laughed as they walked into the dining room.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Keep it up cause every time I see something about this story, it makes me want to write and update faster! So Hannibal is up to something involving mischief and Elizabeth is apart of his plan along with Will. Hannibal's keeping a close eye on her because he doesn't necessarily trust her yet and she doesn't trust him either. They are both up to something, but Elizabeth's mind is mostly being taken up by the ripper case.**

 **She is very determined to find out the answers just like Jack and Will, but doesn't accuse people so quickly like Jack does. This will cause major conflict for her when the time comes because she was morals and this code that she kind of lives by when it comes to justice. So stay tuned for what's to come since this is just a little piece of the story. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	5. Chapter 5

"You seem distracted, Hannibal," Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier said.

Hannibal's maroon eyes looked up from the hardwood floor and towards Bedelia. "I've been in a difficult place this past week."

"Why is that, Hannibal?"

Hannibal stood up and walked over to the window where he looked out into the distance. His jaw tightened and he replied, "I had an evening with someone who is peculiar to me."

"Is this a woman?" She questioned curiously.

"How do you know if this someone is in fact a woman?"

"Hannibal, with males you don't trust them and are highly cautious of them, but with females you find them strange and you don't know how to act towards them. You feel confusion," She explained carefully.

Hannibal turned around and his lips curved into the smallest of smiles. "Her name is Elizabeth Graham."

"Will Graham's sister? Hannibal, this game you are playing with Will is dangerous and something tells me that she's apart of your game as well."

"She's been avoiding me ever since I invited her over for a date just a week ago," Hannibal told her as he slowly paced back and forth.

"You are upset because not only did you open yourself up for even the slightest moment, but that someone else is in control. You can't control her, Hannibal. Tell me what she is like-how she acts towards others. What have you inferred about her so far?" Bedelia asked.

"She's distrustful, polite, cautious, and highly intelligent," Hannibal answered immediately. "Oh and she likes to read books and art."

"What else, Hannibal? Something tells me that you know much more about this woman then you're telling me," Bedelia told him with a blank expression though inside she was very surprised since Hannibal mostly ignores the female race in that area of interest. He already took a keen interest in Will and now his sister caught his eye as well. She didn't know what to expect of Hannibal's panic and loss of control. She suspected that he may have a downward spiral if Elizabeth kept on going as she pleased.

Bedelia was now worried seeing the glint in Hannibal's eyes.

"She has had a string of bad relationships which means that she's naïve when it comes to love. Her last relationship was The Bayard Butcher, perhaps you've heard of him?"

"She dated a serial killer?"

"Engaged actually. She was very much in love with him. Most of his female victims looked like her; this was how he showed his undying love for her by killing others. This frightens her. She scared of letting others inside even though she won't admit it. When she is in love, she'll do anything for them," Hannibal elaborated.

"You want the devotion she gives to her brother and the past men in her life."

"She's ignoring me and I don't know how she's doing it. I can't seem to find her," he confessed in slight irritation and his eye twitched.

"Have you called her?"

Hannibal stopped pacing. "Yes, I've tried everything yet she will not come to the door. She's doing it on purpose."

Bedelia chuckled softly. "I'm sorry for laughing, but I think that Elizabeth is someone that…well, she's honest, Hannibal. Unlike you."

"Partially," she clarified. "There are two sides of you and Elizabeth is completely opposite of both sides. She doesn't fit in your puzzle."

"Yet," Hannibal snapped calmly.

"Yet?" Bedelia questioned and almost tensed. "What do you think will happen if you pursue her? Do you think she'll be like you? Do you want her to?"

"She's stubborn, but devoted unconditionally. Loyal."

"And honest," she reminded him.

"Why do you keep reminding me of that?" Hannibal inquired, seeing right through her attempts.

"Because this is what will keep you away from her. Her honesty is what you're afraid of-"

"I am not afraid of her."

They stared at each other for a long moment of silence until a small smile cracked onto her face and she nodded. "Of course not."

* * *

"Hey, Winston," Elizabeth cooed brightly as she ran around her yard. "Come on boy."

Winston barked and ran after her with Elizabeth laughed as he just barely nipped at the toy in her hand. She had to babysit Will's dogs as he went off with Hannibal to catch "the ripper" according to Jack, but she knew that it wasn't him and so did Will. She decided that she didn't want to be involved in the case and still needed to get her things together, bringing them over to her new place.

Elizabeth stroked his fur and praised, "Good doggie. You are so cute-no, adorable."

"Beth," David called from his motorcycle as he parked it near the sidewalk. He smiled charmingly as he walked over to her.

"Hey," she greeted and kissed him on the lips. "This is Winston, Will's dog."

"Ah," he drawled out. "That would explain the dogs running around here as well. For a minute I thought that you had obtained his bad habit."

Elizabeth laughed and told him, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Yeah, you got my habit of biting my nails when I'm nervous, remember?" David pointed out.

She nodded and sighed in disappointment as she looked down at her very short nails. "Gee, thanks for that."

"Anytime," David joked and rubbed Buster's belly when the dog laid on his back. "You lazy bones. You're so lazy, aren't you buddy?"

Buster's leg shook violently up and down as he licked his lips because it seems whatever David was doing to him, he really seemed to like. The other dogs tackled David to the ground and she laughed. David grabbed her by the waist, pulling her down with him.

"You like to laugh, huh? I'll make you laugh," David warned playfully as he then tickled her sides. Elizabeth wiggled furiously underneath him and struggled to get away from his cruel hands as they had caused her to giggle uncontrollably. "Are you still laughing?"

Elizabeth giggled again. "I'll always keep on laughing, Dave. I have to. It's my duty to or who else will?"

David nodded, his brown strand falling aside his forehead and she brushed it out of his face. "I like your laugh. It makes me smile."

David kissed her passionately on the lips, wrapping his arms around her small frame and pulled her closer to him. His hands traveled up to her breasts where he squeezed them harder than her liking to. She whimpered softly and pulled his hands back down to her hips, but he kept on trailing them towards her breasts again. She pulled away from him, her eyes irritated.

"You can't touch me like that in public, David."

"Why the hell not?" He questioned, his eyes squinting in doubt.

Elizabeth forcefully pushed him off of her and stood up quickly. "Because I said so, that's why."

David stood up as well and just as swiftly when she crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "Screw that. You're my girlfriend and people need to know that."

"I don't care what you want. Just because we're _dating_ doesn't mean that I belong to you or am your girlfriend. It's only been almost three weeks. That's still too early. You know how I feel about us going too fast and this is fast."

"What the fuck?" he said crudely and loudly.

"Keep your voice down. I have neighbors!"

"I don't give a fuck because you're my girl and I don't want some guy coming in and messing with that."

"What are you talking about?" she whispered harshly to him, feeling a headache begin to pray on her poor mind right now.

"You and Dr. Lecter!" David yelled. "I saw you two having dinner a week ago. You were flirting with him!"

"And? We are causally dating, David," she reminded him. "I'm allowed to see other people if I want to and Hannibal asked me to."

"Oh so now it's Hannibal now," he mocked and then painfully gripped her forearms. "Did you fuck him already, huh? Spread your legs wide open for that tailored suit freak?!"

Elizabeth broke away from him and punched him in the face as hard as possible. David held his bloody nose in his hand and screamed, "You bitch! You broke my fucking nose!"

"Don't you dare talk about Hannibal that way ever again," Elizabeth threatened.

 _Why am I defending Hannibal all of the sudden_ , she thought curiously. _I BARELY EVEN KNOW HIM! It's not like our date was that special. I've been avoiding him for a week because of how awkward it was during desert when he had stolen glances at my breasts._

"Elizabeth." Hannibal's voice rang from behind her. She turned around and saw how unaffected he seemed by the scene as he walked up the steps and to them.

"Hannibal, what are you doing here?"

"I saw a damsel in distress and came to rescue you."

She scoffed lightly. "I'm a damsel. I'm in distress. I can handle it. Have a nice day, Hannibal."

Hannibal smiled and replied, "I can see that. David, I presume. I heard what you said about Elizabeth and I…that was quite rude of you to say such a thing about this woman. She's not like that. Never."

Elizabeth smiled softly at Hannibal's words and she breathed out in one breath, "It's over, David. Please leave."

David laughed and stood up. "Fuck you, you cunt. You're just as fucked up as I am. So I would check how high your horse is and look in the mirror sometime before you judge me."

With that, David turned and walked to his motorcycle, riding away into the distance. Hannibal had already remembered his license plate inside of his mind.

"Are you alright?" he asked, with worry itched on his voice.

She nodded. "I am. Really I am, but I really thought that I was wrong about him."

Hannibal's fingers lifted her chin up to look at him. "It's okay to wrong about something…to want to be selfish with it even every once in a while, Elizabeth."

"Maybe for you," she replied softly. "But I cannot not feel guilty about something even when I know it's not my fault."

His fingers cupped her cheek and held her there firmly, unable to move. "What are you? Why am I so…so…"

"So what, Hannibal," she asked quietly as they leaned towards each other.

"Why were you avoiding me all last week?"

"I was nervous."

"And afraid it seems," he analyzed.

"I-I can't, Hannibal," Elizabeth admitted and stepped out of his grasp. "We can't date each other or be romantically involved. We're just too different."

"They say opposites attract."

"They also say that opposites drive each other apart as well." She countered.

"But I like to say attract is more likely instead."

Elizabeth gave a mirthless chuckle. "You don't give up, do you?"

Hannibal had this secretive smile come onto his face at her words. "Oh, you have no idea."

"Well, lucky for you, Hannibal, that I too am full of surprises," Elizabeth calmly told him with an amused smile. Hannibal suddenly saw a spark in her eyes that lit up in a field of sudden darkness.

 _She has a dark secret…one that I can probably use on her,_ he considered gleefully. _I wonder if it's darker than my own._

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE TOO AWESOME! I hoped you liked this chapter and next one is back to the story line.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	6. Chapter 6

"Why?" Elizabeth muttered mostly to herself as she was buzzed into the gates.

Elizabeth ignored the loud and mocking jeers at her as they were trying to get a reaction out of her, but was very much failing at that. She walked confidently through the hall and to the end of it where held a dark cell.

"Special Agent Elizabeth Graham," Dr. Abel Gideon told her as he came out of the darkened corner and into the light's beam. "So lovely to finally meet you after all these years."

"Years," she mused. "Nice touch on the nerve tactic, doctor, but I don't get scared that easily."

He smirked. "From the things I hear about you, I have no doubt about that. You best watch your steps for they may falter if you get too close."

"I know you're not the ripper and so does everyone else so why am I here?" She asked firmly.

"So much like Will I see. Similar minds…you're protective of him."

"That's not an answer, doctor, only a poor way to drive my mind away from the subject at hand which is my question as to why you called me here-actually demanded my presence is the more accurate way to say it." Elizabeth reminded him.

Dr. Gideon smiled widely. "Please…sit. Welcome to my humble home. Cozy, isn't it?"

Elizabeth sighed lowly and sat down on the seat planted in front of his cell where they could see each other perfectly. "Yes, very now tell me why I am here?"

"Alright, Sherlock Holmes," he mocked then crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the bars of the cell. "You intrigue me."

"I only draw interest from you because I was brought specifically by Special Agent Jack Crawford. My first case was the ripper one and you know what my last case was?"

"Ah, The Bayard Butcher case," he drawled out. "Intriguing man. You say he was a sociopath path and yet the ripper is a psychopath if I'm correct."

"The ripper is trying to draw us between the two. He's careful, doctor. Very careful of what he does because in one case, it was set up like a psychopath did it, but in another he made it into a sociopath."

"What do you think he's trying to do to you all?"

"He's trying to confuse everyone," she answered immediately. "You seem very interested in the case, Dr. Gideon."

"No, not the case." He admitted, his eyes in thought then they cut to her. "You however…I am deeply interested in. That's not a good thing, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth tilted her head to the side a little and asked, "Are you warning me?"

"Yes," he snapped calmly. "I am because if you've drawn my interest so quickly, who's to say that you haven't already drawn the ripper's? You're making him feel threatened by you, did you know that?"

"Threatened? How do you know this?" She asked intrigued.

"Look at his most recent kill and then the one before you came. You can tell so many things just by a picture," Dr. Gideon teased. "But don't listen to me if you think that I'm wrong."

Elizabeth stood up and said, "Good-bye, Dr. Gideon."

"Perhaps we will meet again, Elizabeth," He told her, his voice withholding any doubt inside of his words that she hoped was there. Elizabeth smirked and gave him a nod then walked away from him and out of the lion's den.

* * *

"Am I too broken to date?" Will asked her on their way to the crime scene.

Elizabeth chuckled in amusement. "Why?"

"I don't know. It's just s-something Alana said to me this morning," Will explained. "I joked about dating her actually."

She gave a mocking hiss. "Oh, brother, bad move."

"What do you mean," Will requested curiously.

"Well," she drawled out. "Alana seems like the kind of woman that wants a serious guy, you know? From what I can tell from her, she's intelligent enough to see through people and their words most of the time. She wants a man who will let her be her own person, but also teaches her some new things as well. Alana likes to learn, but is guarded when she first meets people like you and I."

"Us? What, mental cases?" He joked with a tight chuckle.

"Not mental," she disagreed. "Although she does find you very intriguing, Will. She's a doctor all the same and has already analyzed you. She likes you in case you're wondering since she can't seem to stop looking at you, but it's very well guarded even I must admit that I almost didn't even catch it at first."

Will was silent for a moment as he thought it over then said to her, "Do you always go to profiling people the moment you meet them?"

"Yes, I do." Elizabeth divulged to him. "But I have every right to doing what I do. I tend to attract psychopaths, Will so it's not exactly a confidence booster for a gal these days."

Elizabeth walked inside of the auditorium and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw what was planted on stage for them. She walked down the steps as she put on the elastic gloves that were handed to her by Will. "Hell…this guy must've done something to piss him off."

"Yeah, no kidding," Will muttered beside her as they stepped onto the stage and closer to the body.

Elizabeth lightly touched the strings and fingered them softly as the man was posed as some makeshift cello. His vocal cords, luckily still inside his corpse, were treated with chemicals and played through his gaping neck wound. Everything looked neat and done perfectly as if cleanliness was a factor in this. _He was dressed to impress so either whoever did this made him dress like a performer or he was one_ , she calculated.

"The killer is obviously a male judging by the precise way the skin is cut and how the neck of the cello is sticking out of the jaw and his head his being rested which means that he doesn't want the body a.k.a his work to get ruined," Elizabeth told them. "This is his first murder publicly. A fantasy that he's been playing in his mind for a long time."

"What? The cello in a guy," Beverly Katz asked her.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. Taking a life, this was just a spontaneous thought he had and he soon had to act on it before he probably lost interest or something got in the way, but if he really wanted it, he wouldn't let anything stop him. He's going to kill again definitely."

"The victim is Douglas Wilson, a member of the Baltimore Metropolitan Orchestra's brass section, a trombone player. He was killed shortly after his last performance. Blunt force trauma to the back of the head," Jack explained to them.

Her eyebrows went up in surprise. "So he killed his victim first and then disfigured the body…that really complicates things now, but at least we know that he's skilled is what he is judging by the way everything's been planned."

"His killer brought him here to…put on a show," Will examined as he circled the body.

"A show for who exactly is the question here," Elizabeth added on. "He wants someone's attention badly enough to kill for it. Desperation probably."

"Will, is it me, or is it becoming easier for you to look," Jack scrutinized.

"I tell myself…" Will started then took out a pill bottle. "It's purely an intellectual exercise."

"Well, in the narrow view of forensics, that's exactly what it is," Jack reminded Will.

"They're not any easier, Jack." Will responded. "I shake it off, keep on looking."

"Good." Jack said firmly. "You shake it off. Get to work. We'll come back in when you're ready for us."

Elizabeth watched Beverly and Jack walk off the stage and she softly said to Will, "Don't. If you feel yourself slipping, I want you to tell me and I'll make sure he backs the fuck off of you, do you understand? I'll go all ape on her period shit on him if he pushes you too way."

Will's lips held a tiny smile and he nodded. "I know. That's why I'm glad you're my sister."

"And you my brother," she answered him then walked away from him and out of the auditorium.

Her cell phone rang and she knitted her brows in confusion as she answered it, "Hello?"

She stopped as she heard heavy breathing on the phone and glanced around, finding that she was alone in the hall. "Who is this?"

No answer and only breathing.

Elizabeth immediately hung up and Jack asked, "What happened?"

"I got a call from someone who was heavily breathing on the other end," Elizabeth told him. "It was an unknown caller ID. Just this morning, Abel Gideon warned me about the ripper."

Jack became immediately interested as he stepped closer and asked, "What did he say?"

"That I was catching the ripper's eye basically," Elizabeth explained to him. "That I was causing a stir in his plans or something. Dr. Gideon said that the ripper is sending me a message by the escalation of his kills."

"The arm," Jack realized.

"No, I think the arm had nothing to do with me, but mostly humiliating you. It appears that I am next on his list probably," Elizabeth said, thinking of it as she talked.

"Is there anyone close to you besides Will?" Jack questioned.

"Hannibal," she answered lowly. "He's one of my friends…kind of."

Jack nodded. "I'll tell him about what happened and have police with Will and Hannibal."

"Thank you. I'm going to head out and scope my place out just in case it is the ripper."

Elizabeth turned and walked out of the building towards her car. As she put her keys in the slot, she felt eyes on her and quickly whirled around. She looked around the area and saw no one, it was completely empty. She quickly stepped inside of her car and drove off, every so often looking into the rearview mirror.

 _I'm being followed._

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! So Gideon warns Elizabeth…but why does he? Elizabeth is becoming a pawn in a chessboard that she is forced to play while another killer strolls into town and as the game begins; Elizabeth gets a taste of what the ripper has planned for her. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	7. Chapter 7

"I feel my brother slipping, Hannibal," Elizabeth told him as they sat down on her sofa with a glass of wine in each of their hands. He had brought dinner to her when she said that she was "too lazy" to go out of her house tonight.

Hannibal took a sip of his wine and asked, "What has happened?"

"Jack is right-don't you repeat that to him," she warned playfully, pointing a finger at him.

Hannibal chuckled. "Scout's honor, Elizabeth."

"He's right about Will getting into the mind of killers so easily. He shouldn't be able to do that," she admitted and took a gulp of her wine. "This is really good wine."

"Yes, it is," Hannibal agreed as he smiled at her slightly looseness persona where alcohol was involved. He had learned that red wine was her favorite because she had a weak spot for sweets. "You're frightened that you may lose him if someone doesn't pull him back in time."

She nodded. "I can't be there all the time to pull him back. Especially not with Jack on my ass twenty-four/seven about Dr. Gideon and the ripper."

"Dr. Abel Gideon?" Hannibal inquired. "What did he say to you?"

Elizabeth sighed and put her feet in Hannibal's lap as she leaned more against the cushions. Hannibal tensed for a moment at the action and then relaxed as he held her feet closer. They were soft and pretty, her toes were painted a nude color. Hannibal put down his glass so that he wouldn't spill the wine on anything.

"He said that I was interesting. Also that whoever the ripper is…that I've caught his eye or something. He said that ever since I've came into town that his kills are going to escalate." She explained, drinking the last of her wine, feeling calmer ironically since she shouldn't feel calm when the ripper is after her.

"Perhaps he is trying to impress you," Hannibal suggested.

"You see now that's why I like psychopaths," Elizabeth told him with a languid smile. "The so-called 'normal' guys seem to be always the ones who let you down. That's why psychopaths don't scare me. At least they're committed."

Hannibal stared at her for a moment, his eyes analyzing her words carefully yet cautiously. Elizabeth met his eyes and felt something stir deep down in her stomach. This feeling had happened before when she was on a date with Hannibal. She wanted him…badly. Her rational mind kicked in and reminded her of all the things that made them so different. _He'd have much more in common with Alana than I ever will._

A knock on her door made her perk up and then walk over to the door. Once she opened it, she was greeted with a beautiful bouquet of dark red roses with a dying rose in the middle of it in a crystal vase. There was a note as she picked up the vase, putting it on the counter.

Elizabeth eyed it with vigilance as did Hannibal, but with interest. She plucked the card and read aloud,

" _Dearest Elizabeth,_

 _I'll gaze no more on her bewitching face,_ _  
Since ruin harbours there in every place ;_ _  
For my enchanted soul alike she drowns_ _  
With calms and tempests of her smiles and frowns._ _  
I'll love no more those cruel eyes of hers,_ _  
Which, pleased or anger'd, still are murderers :_ _  
For if she dart, like lightning, through the air_ _  
Her beams of wrath, she kills me with despair :_ _  
If she behold me with a pleasing eye,_ _  
I surfeit with excess of joy, and die._

 _Love,_

 _Me."_

Elizabeth's jaw tightened and she said, "The poem…do you know of it?"

Hannibal nodded. "I remember reading it in my younger days. It's called _Murdering Beauty_ by Thomas Carew. The speaker is talking about killing the woman that he loves so much because she is too beautiful to look at and he couldn't bare the thought of someone else looking at her as well. It seems that you have an admirer who also wants to kill you yet loves you."

"I would say that it's the ripper, but flowers aren't his taste," she commented. "He's more of a body parts wrapped up with a ribbon kind of guy in my opinion."

Hannibal watched the blonde beauty deeply analyze the dead flower in her small hands. "What are you thinking? I can almost see the wheels in your head turning."

She laughed. "There is something elegant about all of this, don't you think? It's almost ad if he wants someone else to see it…"

"What? The flowers?"

She shook her head, her curls flying around her shoulders. "No, I'm talking about the body who was made into a cello from the inside…he reminds me of the ripper case, but I know it's not him. Still, he has the similar profile and random victims as do the ripper."

"I cannot imagine that the ripper will like that."

Elizabeth nodded her head firmly in agreement. "Nope, not one bit. The guy's narcissistic. He can't have anyone even remotely similar to his style. His ego won't allow it. He'll probably try to kill him first."

"Could…is it possible that they could become friends," Hannibal questioned with a manipulative worried tone deceiving Elizabeth's ear.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the ripper likes to take self satisfaction in his work, complete control over everything. If he had a partner like this guy, then he would have a constant fear of losing control and dominance over a kill," Elizabeth explained.

Hannibal was silent for a moment before coming to the conclusion, "I'm impressed, Elizabeth. You are as great as they say you are."

Elizabeth softly chuckled. "Thanks, Hannibal, but it was _one_ case that made me as good as I apparently am."

"Great," he corrected with a wide smile.

"You are one strange yet simple man, Hannibal Lecter," she teased him.

His eyebrows raised in astonishment. "You should tell that to my former psychiatrist."

"You, the most well-mannered and intelligent man I know has a psychiatrist even though you are one," she mused.

"If it makes you feel any better, my psychiatrist has one herself."

Elizabeth raised an elegant eyebrow in response. "I'm still surprised by others even till this day."

"Are you ever going to paint that wall over there?" Hannibal asked curiously. "It's been almost three weeks since you started on the house."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't know what color I want to paint the wall with…there are so many, many shades to choose from and if I choose this shade then I will have to waist for it and then I may not like it anyone in the end."

"How interesting," he commented lowly.

Elizabeth lost her balance on her feet for a second before Hannibal caught her in his arms.

"Whoa," she whispered, grabbing her head and felt dizzy. "I don't know what has come over me."

Hannibal held her closer to him as her head suddenly lolled backwards and she was now unconscious. Hannibal's hand came up to her face and his long fingers slowly pushed away the hair from her face which looked angelic and peaceful. He hooked his arms under her knees and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her small frame gently onto the bed.

Hannibal pulled a blanket over her body and then leaned down uncontrollably towards her face. His lips hovered over her perfectly shaped soft pink lips. _She could probably get any man with those lips…the moonlight catches her well, it would be a perfect picture to draw and I would have if I wasn't already out of time._

He kissed her lips as softly as possible and then walked back to the kitchen. He dumped out the rest of the wine and cleaned it before taking a flask out of his jacket and pouring the contents into the empty wine bottle. Feeling pleased with himself, Hannibal left without another word and back towards his house.

* * *

Elizabeth was frazzled with the pile of cases that were given to her on top of those being Jack's cases which were apparently top priority in his eyes so that meant she would have to drop everything and give him her full and undivided attention.

She sped down the road and towards Hannibal's office. He was there. Someone is coming after him and yet here she was, breaking all the rules of society in order to get to him. His patient is good friends with their killer.

Tobias was planning on not only killing Franklyn, but Hannibal too if he somehow got in Tobias's way.

Which Elizabeth stupidly knew that of course, Hannibal would do something about whatever was doing on right.

 _And I am afraid…no, I am terrified that I'll be too late, she thought grimly._

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE STILL AWESOME SO KEEP IT UP! I hoped you liked this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**ONE HOUR EARLIER**

"Hello?" Elizabeth answered in exasperation when the phone rang for the third time since she never answered her home phone.

She heard breathing on the other end and asked, "Who is this? I'm hanging up."

"Here to help you," a whispered voice she could barely understand came onto the phone.

"Why?"

"The ripper...he's closer than you think."

"Who is this?" she demanded. "Are you the ripper?"

The voice laughed in amusement. "I am not the ripper, but you've already seen him."

"Again, who the hell are you?" She asked sternly.

"A friend...for now," they responded. "Your admirer has his sights on Hannibal. Tobias Budge. Run while you still can catch him…you may just save him."

Elizabeth hung up and immediately when to her car.

* * *

 **PRESENT**

She drove like a speed demon down the road and when she went too fast, she would try to curve the car around to stall it. Elizabeth stepped on the brakes and the car became wild as she found that she couldn't stop the car. Her heart beat faster and faster as she realized that someone had did something to her car.

 _What-_

A black SUV dashed into the side of her car, crashing it as it swerved and flipped over, the tires screeching against the pavement. The metal scrapping against the road as it slid down the hill, finally stopping.

Elizabeth's eyes were already closed as blood dripped down from her head and onto the ceiling of the car as she hung limply upside down.

* * *

Franklyn's body laid lifelessly on the floor of Hannibal's office between him and Tobias Budge. Neither felt any kind of emotions towards his corpse.

"I was looking forward to that," Tobias said blankly.

"I saved you the trouble," Hannibal responded.

Tobias let the sliver violin string fall from his hands, gripping onto it; Hannibal immediately knew what this man had planned to do to him. "I find it humorous if we're being honest that you and I have in common the same kind of woman that we desire," Tobias claimed with a strained smile.

"I have no-"

"Elizabeth Graham," He rudely interrupted with a small smirk. "I'm not an idiot. I can see the way you look at her. I've been watching you two."

"You mean that you've been stalking _her_ , not me because you wonder if she means anything to me."

"And therefore if she does then I can use her against you. A weakness and you don't even know it, Hannibal Lecter," Tobias chuckled in victory.

"Is that why you want her? Because you think that I want her," Hannibal questioned with a calculating gaze.

"What does she see in you?" Tobias asked lowly. "We are the same. I don't understand."

Hannibal looked impassively at him. "Do you send her those flowers?"

Tobias nodded. "I heard she liked red roses."

"Your poem talked about killing her even though you loved her, yes? You have an allusion-a fantasy of this game between us. You think you are planning to take my queen."

"Yes." Tobias said then looked at the clock and smirked. "I already have actually."

Hannibal's eyes gave away his true emotion about Elizabeth Graham. "What did you do?"

"Not only did I cut the brakes on her car and give her a call telling her that you were in danger so that she came rushing over here, but she had an accident. She's dead," Tobias said simply.

This man's mind was setting him up, thinking that everyone around him was a chess piece in a game of chess between each other. Hannibal felt rage boil slowly inside of him after hearing that this man had murdered his "queen" before he had the chance to move her to different spots on the chessboard yet. He had so many moves for her to slide onto in the game. His "queen" had been taken from him and he didn't like someone else trying to take control.

Hannibal readied himself for a fight as Tobias started to swing the violin string in his hand, a wicked gleam in his eyes giving away his satisfaction at thinking that he had beaten the great Chesapeake Ripper. Tobias lunged towards him causing Hannibal to jump away in defense mode.

Tobias suddenly swung his string from left to right, but Hannibal had quickly dodged them quickly until Tobias had brought his foot up quickly and shoving it into his stomach. Hannibal stumbled backwards towards the ladder, pushing it away from him though Tobias had moved away from the action. Thinking that Tobias was going to hit him, Hannibal had put his arm up to block the attack when the violin string had wrapped itself around his forearm.

Tobias pulled the string tighter around his forearm as Hannibal kept on pushing the arm towards himself. Blood appeared on Hannibal's light blue shirt since neither of them was backing down from the other. Hannibal swung his fist at his face, but missed as Tobias now had the upper hand and grabbed the glass coffee table. He tried to hit him on the head with it, but Hannibal had blocked the arm with his own arm from hitting him. The glass immediately shattered and the table was tossed aside carelessly as they kept on fighting each other.

Hannibal quickly heat butted him and threw Tobias into his desk, grunting. Tobias' hands reached for the letter opener and grabbed just as Hannibal charged at him. The both of them tussled on top of the desk until they eventually rolled over it and crashed back onto the floor. Both of the men were groaning in pain at the hard impact it had on them. Tobias kicked Hannibal's nose and swung persistently at Hannibal who practically crawled back in his survival response mode.

Hannibal yelled out in pain as Tobias had struck the blade suddenly between his thigh and knee. Tobias had wrapped his hand around Hannibal's throat, pushing him onto the desk. He held the blade away from him, but Hannibal's hand had forced him from cutting open his throat. As they struggled on top of the desk, Hannibal grabbed the sharp pen and sliced Tobias's arm.

"AH!" Tobias hissed in pain as he grabbed onto the wound.

Hannibal had then thrown the man away from him before punching me repeatedly.

Hannibal fell against the ladder and once Tobias was close enough to hit her again, he lunged towards Hannibal and fell against the ladder, his arm stuck out. Hannibal grabbed the arm and broke it immediately, the bones cracked under pressure. He swung his limp hands before Hannibal shoved the palm of his hand into the chest of Tobias. Tobias gasped for quick air as he had felt like his heart beat causing him pain whenever he breathed. He coughed violently as he held his chest.

Hannibal walked around to the stag stature and lifted it up in the air and swung it on top of his head, causing him to die instantly as he fell face first into the ground.

Hannibal exhaled a deep breath as he tipped over the end table and then limped over to the piano playing a tune or two. He then called in what had happened.

Hannibal felt a sense of relief wash over him as he saw Will follow Jack inside of the office.

"I was worried that you were dead." Hannibal confessed.

Jack glanced around the scene before him, trying to call someone on his phone, but he growled lowly and shoved it in his pocket in frustration. "Tobias Budge killed two Baltimore Police officers, nearly killed an FBI special agent"

"He told me that he killed Elizabeth too. Purposely got her into a car accident," Hannibal told them with worry in his voice.

"I've been trying to call her," Jack realized and dialed a number on his phone. "Hello, this is Agent Jack Crawford, I'm with the Baltimore FBI. I was wondering if you recently in the last hour had any severe car crashes involving a blonde woman in her mid twenties."

"W-Why would he go after Lizzie," Will questioned.

"He sent her flowers last night with a poem saying how much he loved her and then he was going to kill her after. He was obsessed with her."

"Do you think that he was serenading for her?" Will inquired. "How does he even know her?"

"I have doubt that he does know her because he seemed to be stalking her as well. He even told me. He watched us and didn't understand what she saw in me when she could have him. Elizabeth told me something last night that I cannot seem to remember today," Hannibal explained to him.

Jack nodded. "Yes, thank you."

He hung up and sighed as Will asked agitatedly, "Well? What happened?"

"She barely made it. They said that they lost her on the table during surgery, but were able to revive her in time. She hasn't woken up yet since her condition is fragile at the moment," Jack told them.

Hannibal forced himself to stand, ignoring the pain shooting up his body. "I need to see her."

"You can do that when you're healed, Hannibal," Jack scolded him.

He shook his head. "I need to see if she is alright. I am the reason that she is in there. Tobias told me that he called her telling her that I was in danger."

"And so she drove recklessly over here and he planned the car crash," Will grasped. "He had a strange obsession with her. "

Jack sighed in irritation. "Hannibal-"

"I want to see her, Jack," Hannibal told him firmly. "Immediately."

* * *

Hannibal's hand held hers as he slept in the chair by her beside. Will observed how protective Hannibal seemed lately over his sister. He noticed how Elizabeth would smile at Hannibal's name. _Is there…are they…do they…is it even possible perhaps?_

Many questions were soaring through his head as he pondered more and more about the relationship between Elizabeth and Hannibal.

She almost looked dead with her pale skin and the cuts on her face. There was one on her hairline, cheek, lip, and just above the eyebrow. Her arm was sprained and she had a mild concussion according to the doctor. They had almost lost her on the table because she had been internally bleeding another effect from the car crash.

Hannibal never left her side and always seemed to wait for her eyes to flutter and for her to wake up.

Will still watched them; silently hoping that what he was thinking about wasn't really true.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	9. Chapter 9

_God, my head is killing me._

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open, squinting at the harsh light that seem to be glaring in her eyes painfully.

She vaguely heard someone whisper, "She's awake. Will, wake up."

She opened her eyes wider and smiled weakly at Hannibal who hovered over her, holding her hand. She raised her other hand, her fingers touching under his eye.

Her brow furrowed as she told him softly, "You look worried. Why?"

"You mad woman," Hannibal whispered. "You say you are no damsel yet here you are."

"You're hurt," she said weakly, outlining the wound on his head. "Tobias…I was so worried about you for some odd reason."

Hannibal let himself smile and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. "He told me that you were dead."

"Yet I survived. It's going to take a lot than some car crash to get rid of me," she told him.

"I imagine so," Hannibal muttered against her hand.

Elizabeth gave him a warm smile and raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Will who was still sleeping on the couch curled up in a ball. She looked back over to Hannibal again.

"Please give that magazine," she asked him to which he complied with doing so.

Elizabeth then sat up slowly and then threw the magazine over at Will saying, "Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

Will groaned in pain as the magazine was aim at his back causing him to jump. "Oh, God…that hurt."

"Good," she chuckled softly. "I am really hungry. How long have I been out?"

"Almost a week," Will answered as he rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses.

She widened her eyes. "W-What? Please tell you're just kidding, Will."

He shook his head. "No, I am not. Listen, I'm going to get you some real food and be right back, alright?"

Elizabeth nodded and Will kissed the top of her head. Once he left, she turned to Hannibal and asked, "Is he alright?"

"He needs time, but he might be."

"Might? I don't like the sound of that."

"I'm giving him some medications for that so don't worry. It should help him," he assured her.

Elizabeth eyed him curiously. "Thank you, Hannibal. For Will and for…have you been here before?"

"I haven't left your side ever since you were admitted here," Hannibal confessed.

Elizabeth gulped nervously, suddenly feeling her throat was dry. "Oh, well…that is surprising."

"I like you, Elizabeth," Hannibal said softly. "I always think about you if I am being truthful with you."

Elizabeth moved her hand out of his grasp and put her hands in her lap. "I can't. We can't be together, Hannibal."

"Why not?" he asked immediately, eager for an answer.

Elizabeth licked her lips and put her hair behind her ear. "Because I don't think that we should be."

"Why?"

"Because you're not my type I guess. I don't know-listen, Hannibal," she sighed. "We are completely opposite of each other. We wouldn't be happy. We'd probably kill each other actually."

Hannibal chuckled and wondered if what she said was true. "I don't think that will happen."

"You say that now, but you haven't met me when you've pissed me off," She warned him.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I know you will. No offense, but you're a normal man. Remember what I told you last night-I mean last week?" she reminded him. "Normal guys and I don't really mix well together anyways."

Hannibal leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips then pulled away before she could respond. "I'm not a normal man and you are not a normal woman. I say that you and I are the same whether you'll admit it or not."

Elizabeth gazed at Hannibal, her eyebrows still confused. "Why? Why do you like me so much, Hannibal? Why are you doing all of this?"

"Elizabeth, why do always push people away?" He asked curiously.

"I don't want to talk about it, Hannibal," she dismissed and moved away from him, looking away towards the window. "I don't want a relationship with you, Hannibal."

Hannibal stared at her for a moment before silently standing up and walking out of the room. Elizabeth sighed heavily and stuffed her face into a pillow, screaming into it.

"What happened?" Will asked.

Elizabeth gave him a look. "Nothing, Will."

Will set down the bags of food and the cup holder with two coffees in them. "Are you and Hannibal together?"

"He asked me out on a date like two weeks ago I think. We had a good time, but I wasn't ready for a relationship."

"He looked a little angry when I passed him in the hall. Didn't even answer me when I tried to talk to me," Will informed her. "What did you say to him?"

"He kissed me again and he keeps on pursuing me…asking why we can't be together. I told him it was because we were too different and now I told him that I didn't want a relationship with him," she explained in a soft voice. "I don't give trust that easily and for some reason, Will; I can't let myself trust Hannibal."

"B-But why?" Will questioned in confusion. "He has no reason to make you not trust him. I mean if there is anyone here besides me that you could trust, it is Hannibal. He hasn't left your side since you were in the accident-I mean the man was stabbed and beaten horribly and still he got up, ignored the doctors who told him that he needed to get examined for any severe injuries, and went to your side. I'm surprised he's still even alive if we're being honest and I had thought that something bad would happen to him, but yet it didn't. He thinks of you first, Elizabeth. I get why you don't trust people especially men when you've had boyfriends cheat on you, try to kill you, and your last one completely screwed up your mind, playing with your heart, being a jackass by proposing to you while he was out killing woman who looked a lot like you...what I am trying to say to you, but immensely failing at it, is that to give Hannibal a chance. He's a good man and I feel that you two are perfect for each other."

Elizabeth laughed. "That was some speech, brother. Have you been reading some couples counseling books perhaps?"

Will smiled. "No, I've been listening to you. You give good advice so I thought to repay the debt."

"It is never a debt to advice you, Will," she told him. "Now give me some of that food. I'm starving-famished to be more exact."

"You are very exaggerate when it comes to food, you know?"

"But you still love me."

"Yeah," he scoffed playfully, "You keep telling yourself that."

"Now tell me about the new case," she said firmly.

"Well, it involves," he started as he took out a file and handed it to her. "Bodies on a totem pole on a beach."

She opened the file and her eyes widened in shock. "Whoa! Clearly someone has issues."

"They all died naturally except for the top and bottom which means that they hold value or are the product of his feelings," Will enlightened her.

"And here I thought that I had seen most of everything," she said dazed. "Yet I am still surprised by people."

* * *

"Elizabeth rejected you," Bedelia asked for conformation.

Hannibal sighed in irritation, but confirmed, "Yes, she said that-"

He stopped speaking abruptly which caused Bedelia's intrigue in his Elizabeth to become ignited. That woman had caused Hannibal to become disordered and unsystematic. "What did she say, Hannibal?"

"She said that she didn't want a relationship with me specifically," Hannibal answered coldly.

"And how does that make you feel, Hannibal?" she asked carefully.

"Vengeful," he told her truthfully. "I want to hurt her. Ruin her completely-mind and soul."

"Those are some hateful words," she reminded him. "I'm guessing that she was clever enough to climb over your walls and you trusted her-"

"No, I never trusted her," he snapped evenly.

"But you felt that you would've let yourself trust her," Bedelia considered. "You're not just angry at her, but at yourself as well."

"She had something then took it away from me," Hannibal replied. "She's more intelligent than I had thought of her to be. She is very beautiful and cunning yet I cannot stop thinking about her. She dances around my mind at least twice every hour of each day."

"Hannibal," she started. "This feelings you have for Elizabeth is unhealthy."

"I know."

"And yet you continue to ignore my advice to you that you should stay away from her."

"Can you stay away from the earth, doctor," he asked suddenly.

"No, I walk on it every day just like everyone else does, Hannibal."

"Just like Elizabeth. She is the earth. She is beautiful and yet unforgiving in her own way. People don't appreciate her and walk all over her and she gives it no thought just like the earth. People litter her ground with their debris, it's sad to me. She could be so magnificent if only she had guidance."

"Do you feel that you're her guidance, Hannibal?" Bedelia inquired softly.

Hannibal nodded slowly. "Yes, Bedelia, I do, but first she has to learn."

Bedelia forced a smile onto her face at Hannibal. Her worry for this woman became larger than before.

Hannibal wants her, but even he doesn't know what for. He only thinks he does, but he won't say it to her. _Hannibal's secrets are what make him able to survive_. Elizabeth had unintentionally pulled Hannibal into her world and he planned to stay, latching onto her mind and body. She feared how far Hannibal would go to prove it.

* * *

"You can't stop me, Willa," Elizabeth teased him as they drove over to the crime scene where Jack had told them that there was another murder. It had been only two days since she woke up and she wanted to be rid of that hospital…and the food and gowns she was forced to wear. She hated hospitals because of all the death that happened there and the sadness as well. She couldn't help, but think of it whenever she was near one.

"I thought Dad told you to stop calling me that," Will scolded as he cleaned his glasses.

"Oh, please. What? Are you gonna snitch on me," she mused.

"Whatever you say, Elijah," Will countered with a smirk.

She gaped at him then smacked him playfully on the arm, laughing. "You ass."

"Hey, you started it with Willa so why not give you another name like Elijah since your name is Elizabeth and mine is Will and Willa."

"Ah, touché, Will Graham," she drawled out.

They parked near the other police cars and found themselves in the woods which looked dead and something out of a horror movie when the girl is running away from the serial killer after he had just killed her boyfriend or something. _This must've been used for like Friday the 13_ _th_ , she thought.

They followed police officers towards where Jack was supposed to be…and Hannibal as well. She wanted to talk to him, but every time she tried, there was always something in her way whether he wasn't there or didn't answer her texts or calls. _He is being a real jackass. All I want to do is apologize to him for what I said and actually go out on a date with him. I wanted to actually give him a chance and open up a little. I wanted to tell him all of these things yet he won't fucking answer me! When I get my hands on him-_

"Oh my God," she whispered when she froze and saw the murder.

"Lizzie," Will called when he walked to Hannibal and Jack, but noticed her absence. "Lizzie, are you alright?"

It was David.

His body was hung up in the air, naked for all to see. His arms and legs were spread out wide, displaying his body for the world to see him. Ropes hung around his wrists and ankles, keeping him wide and still. A crow was perched on his shoulder as if sensing death.

His penis was cut off along with a gaping hole in his stomach, all of his organs missing except for his heart which was torn in half as if broken. His eyes were wide and dead as if whoever did this to him scared him to death. In the hole of his stomach were her...were her favorite flowers, blooming red roses with a white rose in the middle of them. She looked more closely at his body, her mind telling her to look away, but her eyes could not. She found that there were restraint marks on his ankles and wrists.

She gulped nervously as a silent tear went down her cheek yet her face showed no emotion as she asked, "It was the ripper wasn't it?"

Jack nodded. "We believe so. Elizabeth, do you know this man?"

She stared impassively at them. "Yes, I do. He was the new boyfriend that I had, but we broke up just a day or two before the accident though we made up and were still friends. Red roses are my favorite and white ones are my second favorite. Abel Gideon warned me that the ripper would escalate if he felt threatened by me."

"What else did Dr. Gideon say?" Jack questioned.

"He was interested in the butcher case along with Will and myself," she explained. "I would have told you, Jack, but I thought that Gideon only wanted to draw attention to himself by psyching me out or something."

Will circled the body and said, "He doesn't like David at all…I think he hates him. Why did you two break up?"

"Well, he was not only controlling, but an asshole as well. Possessive with me and he thought that I was his girlfriend, but I actually never confirmed that with him in a way. He hated the thought of me with another man."

"Did he know about your date with Hannibal," Will questioned.

"Your what?" Jack questioned with his hands on his hips as he looked between her and Hannibal.

"Yes, Hannibal and I went out on a date, Jack. David knew because he peeked through the window of Hannibal's house. He got insanely jealous and I punched him in the face when he insulted me."

Will tried not to smile as he asked her, "And you reconciled with him?"

She nodded. "Yes, I put it behind me. We didn't really talk much after we said our good byes. I did care for him though. I liked him a lot actually."

"I'm very sorry, Elizabeth," Jack told her sincerely. "Now the ripper is going to closer to you, Elizabeth so you have to be careful. If he gets close enough, we can catch him through you. Now for your safety, you can't go anywhere alone. If what Dr. Gideon told you was true then you might be next on the ripper's list. It is imperative that we know where you are every hour, Elizabeth. You must tell or be with either Will, Hannibal, or myself, is that clear?"

She nodded silently and sighed. "Will, can you take me home?"

"Of course," he said and began to walk back to the car.

Meanwhile Elizabeth turned to Hannibal and walked over to him, whispering, "I am truly sorry for what I said to you, Hannibal. It was very rude of me. I don't trust people easily because of what has happened to me in the past with other men. I didn't give you chance…but I would like to if y-you want to that is. I am willing to try…for you, Hannibal."

"Why?"

"Because I can't run away from my feelings for you and I'm afraid, Hannibal," she confessed softly. "I'm afraid that the ripper will come after you before I could ever tell you and apologize."

Elizabeth went on her tiptoes and kissed the corner of his mouth gently then walked back to Will's car who was suppressing a smile along with Alana.

"Wow," Alana started with amusement. "That was some kiss."

"I didn't kiss his lips only the corner of them," she corrected when she came closer. "Then again…I'm sure you and my brother have had better kisses than that."

They widened their eyes at her and she ignored them as she stepped into the passenger seat of the car, smiling widely when Will got in as well.

"Why do you always have to embarrass me?" Will asked.

"I could ask the same or you, brother."

"We can't be together."

"Why's that?"

"For almost the same reasons you have Hannibal," Will said as they backed out of the lot and onto the woods. "She says that we're too opposite-too different. She has feelings for me, but she won't act on them when I'm this disabled with my mind, can you believe that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean disabled with your mind, Will?"

"I've been having hallucinations, loss of time, and sleep walking. I've thought that maybe it involves some kind of medical issue in the brain or something, but Hannibal tells me otherwise."

"What did he say to you?"

"He said that it's all in my head to sum it up," Will elaborated.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked angrily. "I deserve to know when you're in trouble, Will."

"Here's a good question, why didn't you tell me when you had a secret admirer who wanted to love you and then kill you, huh? He was threatening your life and yet you told Hannibal."

"He was there," she practically shouted at him. "It just happened."

"Like it did with me too," Will retorted. "Hannibal is my friend and has been helping me though even I feel that I am slowly slipping away."

"Then stop this," she pleaded. "Stop working for Jack and go back to teaching, Will. I don't want to lose you to that other person. I have met him and I don't like him."

"You don't have to remind of that time, Lizzie," Will told her sternly, his hands tightening around the wheel as they pulled up to her house. "I remember perfectly what happened on that day."

She sighed in frustration as they both got out of the car and walked up the steps. She suddenly stopped as she put her key into the lock. "Do you hear that?"

Will thought about it for a moment, closing his eyes and listening. His eyes popped open as he answered, "It sounds like music."

They opened the door and cautiously stepped inside. At first, all they could hear was music. The stereo was playing a song that she immediately recognized. Her hands started to shake as she heard the lyrics to the song, _Run for Your Life_ by The Beatles.

 _It was about a guy who would rather kill his girl than watch her end up with someone else_ , she thought grimly.

 _Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl  
Than to be with another man  
You better keep your head, little girl  
Or I won't know where I am_

 _You better run for your life if you can, little girl_  
 _Hide your head in the sand little girl_  
 _Catch you with another man_  
 _That's the end ah little girl_

 _Well I know that I'm a wicked guy_  
 _And I was born with a jealous mind_  
 _And I can't spend my whole life_  
 _Trying just to make you toe the line_

 _You better run for your life if you can, little girl_

"The ripper," Will whispered so softly that she thought he thought she wouldn't hear him…but she did.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! You guys are still too awesome for me and thank for your support! Like I said before, Hannibal gives a taste of what messing with him is like which means that he's stepping up his game. Although she apologized to him, Hannibal doesn't forgive so easily as you can see by the song which I have been just dying *no pun intended* to get to ever since I heard it on Pandora and I was actually watching Hannibal at the time. It was a creepy night for me haha. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	10. Chapter 10

Abigail Hobbs had brown chestnut straight hair. She looked so young. Elizabeth felt that she was too young to have this life put on her. She could see from the forming bags under her eyes from sleep deprivation that she felt guilty about her father's victims.

"Who is she?" Abigail questioned Will and Hannibal.

"I'm his sister, Special Agent Elizabeth Graham," she answered. "I'm being forced to stay near them because they think that I am some feeble woman who can't defend herself."

"There is a serial killer after you," Will argued incredulously.

"It's been a like a week since then," Elizabeth reminded him. "He hasn't done anything."

"Yet. He's trying to wait you out, have you think that you're safe before he could attack again." Will countered. "Toying with you."

"The only people I really care about are already around me." She sighed. "And Meredith Hopkins, but she's fine."

"I'll never understand why you're friends with her. She's worse than Freddie Lounds," Will muttered.

"I've heard of that woman from Alana," Elizabeth replied. "I would like to meet her sometime."

"Oh no," Will immediately chuckled.

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Because you'll eat her alive I'm afraid," Hannibal teased.

Elizabeth raised an amused eyebrow at him and gazed at him from under her lashes. Hannibal smiled as well and his fingers touched her palm without anyone noticing. She had been spending most of her time with Hannibal since the ripper had broken into her house, played a threatening song, and took a necklace from her jewelry bow on his way out she guessed. It was her favorite necklace of a silver moon pendent that her father had given her when she was little. They had three dates since then; they would spend time looking at cases together, but silently working. They shared various kisses, but they were surprise kisses give by Hannibal. He always made the first move, but gave her time and space.

Elizabeth enclosed her hand around his fingers and then he asked, "Am I feeding you tonight?"

"If you're willing to have me, Hannibal," She confessed.

Hannibal smirked. "I am worthy of you, my Ella."

"Ella?" Will questioned with clear amusement. "I'd never thought I'd ever see the day where you accept nicknames like that…the world must be ending."

"Well, actually, it's 'my pearl' on Sundays if it makes you feel any better," Hannibal added.

"Really? A Pride & Prejudice reference?" Will inquired. "It's very humorous how two can communicate through literature. You are a strange kind of couple."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Will."

"I know you from somewhere." Abigail said softly to her, her face formed into thought. "Where have I seen you before?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I-I don't know."

After a moment, Abigail sat up on the bed that she was currently sitting on. "On the news…that butcher in the U.K."

"Yeah, I lived there for a while and was called there to work on the case of the butcher," she explained.

"Just like Will for my dad's case. He murdered girls that looked like me."

"I'm sorry. Rog-I mean the butcher had begun to kill women who looked like me as well."

"Will killed my father," Abigail said to her casually.

Elizabeth moved away from Hannibal after seeing Will look down in shame when she had said those words. Her brother seemed haunted by the death of Garret Jacob Hobbs. Though Hannibal had assured her that he is slowly getting better. She could not help, but let herself worry about him instead of being happy.

"And I killed my unborn baby," Elizabeth confessed firmly. "Hannibal killed Tobias and you killed Nicholas Boyle."

All of them turned their eyes to her in shock and Will asked hesitantly, "How do you know?"

"You guys, it's not that hard to figure out. Why did you kill him, Abigail? Be honest with me please," Elizabeth asked her sympathetically.

Tears were in Abigail's eyes as she admitted, "I-I was so scared. H-He…it was on accident. It was self defense, I didn't mean to kill him, it just happened. He ran into the knife."

"I actually believe you when you say that it was self defense," Elizabeth said honestly. "You can't blame my brother for what he did to your father. It was self defense since your own father was trying to kill you. Same with Hannibal and Tobias who trying to kill him."

"What about your baby, huh? Did you kill it?"

"With my unborn baby, it was either I live or the baby. My baby's father was the butcher," she said.

Will turned to her sharply. "You didn't…why didn't you tell me?"

"The butcher's name is Roger Kane and how do you suppose I started the conversation, Will? Apart of me wanted the baby, but my fear of what it would become overgrew the hope. I had a miscarriage and so in a way I felt responsible for killing my baby. We are all killers in a way. But I will confess that there is not a day that goes by that I don't wonder what my life would have been like with that child in this world. I do regret sometimes and sometimes I don't. My brother deeply regrets what he's done to your father, but then again, he doesn't because you are alive, he and Hannibal saved you from someone who wanted to kill you, Abigail. Do not blame him for your father's death just like you wouldn't want to be blamed for self defense."

Abigail gulped nervously. "Why didn't you tell Agent Crawford about what happened?"

"Because Jack would automatically condemn you to be guilty without another thought," Will answered.

"He's right, Abigail," Hannibal agreed. "And so is Elizabeth. We're here to protect you. We don't want to see your future ruined because of something you had no control over."

Abigail nodded as Elizabeth told Hannibal and Will, "We should leave her alone right now."

They nodded and walked out of the room, Hannibal's hand resting on the small of her back.

"Do you want to come over?" Hannibal asked as he gazed down at her and then pulled her to his side.

Before she could answer, a woman with bright bouncy red curls came running to stand in their way. She had this smug grin on her face when she saw the group of people. She held her hand out immediately to Elizabeth.

"Agent Elizabeth Graham I presume," She said as they shook hands. "Hi, I'm Freddie Lounds."

"We were just discussing how I would apparently kill you if I ever met you." Elizabeth joked.

"Oh, so I guess being insane runs in the family then," Freddie told her calmly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"What happened on the 13th of December in 1992? There was an incident with you and your _half_ -brother, Will, I believe he-"

"No comment, Ms. Lounds," Elizabeth replied coldly. _Now I hate her._ "I've always hated journalists."

"I see the apple doesn't fall down far from the tree then," Freddie chuckled.

"I see you alone everyday, Ms. Lounds…I guess your family couldn't-oh, I mean wouldn't stay near you anymore, huh? Will is my blood and therefore I consider him my full one and the only that I need. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do like save people's lives and put the bad guys behind bars."

"Then why is your brother roaming about then?"

"Why are you still roaming about is what shocks me most?"

"Because I'm not insane and don't break that law."

"Everyone breaks the law, Ms. Lounds…even you. It's inevitable," Elizabeth reminded her with a smile. "Let's go, you guys."

Once they were far away from Freddie, Will smirked at her. "Thanks."

"For what?" she asked curiously.

"For being your overly protective self and my sister," Will teased.

"Right back at you," she said. "I'll be with Hannibal tonight so don't wait up."

Will nodded in response and walked to his car, getting inside and driving off. When she turned to Hannibal, he suddenly kissed her very softly on the lips, cupping the back of her neck.

They ended the kiss and she whispered, "You and your surprise kisses, Hannibal Lecter…"

"But you like my kisses, do you not?"

"I like them," she whispered so softly that he almost didn't hear her. "I'm simply starving right now, Hannibal. Let's go eat."

Hannibal nodded. "I shall cook a meal for you that you will never forget."

 _A meal that has your former love as a key ingredient_ , he thought amusingly and then kissed her forehead.

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I hoped you a liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	11. Chapter 11

_Wow._

"Hannibal, I can't take this," Elizabeth pleaded as she sat cross legged on the couch in his living room. "This is too much."

Hannibal chuckled. "Nothing is ever too much for you, my dear. I want you to have it."

Elizabeth stared down at the small necklace with a sliver chain and a red rose on it with a small diamond in the middle of the rose. She smiled down at it and shook her head. "What is this, Hannibal?"

"It's a gift. We've been together for a month now," Hannibal said, his voice proud.

"We have been dating," she corrected him. "Is this your way of saying that it is our anniversary?"

"It would appear so."

"And they say that the men are always so forgetful of these types of things," she joked as Hannibal moved a stray curl out of her hair and behind her ear.

"I'm not most men," Hannibal reminded her. "Now let me put it on."

Elizabeth nodded and turned around as Hannibal's arms reached around her to clasp the necklace around her neck. He kissed her neck and whispered, "I care about you, Elizabeth."

"Already," she mused and craned her neck to look behind her and at him. "And here I thought you hated me for what I had said to you out of fear. Do you forgive me, Hannibal?"

Hannibal kissed her lips and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to his chest. She soon felt her back hit the cushions softly as he kissed her passionately. She liked his weight on top of her and the way his body felt against her own.

"I can't seem to stay away from you," he admitted. "And it drives me insane."

She knitted her brows in confusion. "Why?"

"Because," he started with a sad smile. "I will never truly have you although I like fantasize about the idea."

"Why not?"

"Curiosity killed the cat did it not?"

She smiled and cupped his cheek. "Maybe I am, but I am also very cunning."

Hannibal laughed and then asked, "Did you know that a mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it?"

"Ah," she drawled out. "But a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it in my opinion."

"And yet you ask why I like you so much. Your mouth is what will get you into trouble."

"One day."

"And I'll be anxiously waiting to tell you that I told you so."

"Great," she replied sarcastically. "I'll be waiting to slap you then."

"I happen to like violent women on some occasions," he said as he stroked the curves of her body before kissing her collarbone.

"I know that it must be hard for you to keep this all a secret, but I just want you to know that it isn't because I'm ashamed or something and don't want everyone to know that we're together, but because of the ripper. He hasn't done anything for a while and it's just making everyone on edge lately," she told him.

Hannibal nodded. "I understand perfectly. The man is cunning and unpredictable. We don't know when he will strike since he's killed more people than we're used to."

"Exactly," she said in exasperation. "He only kills in triads, but now...he's killing more than one, but for what? What has changed all of the sudden?"

"I can see that you've been spending a lot of time on this." Hannibal mused.

She sighed heavily and confessed, "He's inside of my mind, playing games inside of my dreams. A faceless tall figure with an impressive and expensive suit on stands behind me as I'm tied to a chair and he makes me watch as he-"

She stopped talking suddenly, sitting up and curling her legs underneath her, her hands in her lap. Hannibal sat up as well and grabbed her hand, his fingers gently stroking hers.

"Tell me," he commanded softly.

"He is always silent in my dreams. Never talking in them. He makes me watch as he kills Will."

"How does he kill him?"

"H-He didn't exactly kill him in front of me, but made me watch as Will is barely hanging on for his life. He was hung above me, his blood dripping onto my face. Will's eyes are staring right into my own; he has fish hooks in his back so that he can hang from above on the ceiling. He looked so dead."

"Fish hooks?" Hannibal questioned.

She nodded. "Yeah. His arms, hands, legs-all over his backside had hooks."

"Did he do anything else?"

"He, um, he wore black leather gloves and put his hands on my shoulders and then he stroked my hair like I was his pet…"

"Maybe you are his student," Hannibal suggested. "He wants you to learn from your mistakes in my opinion."

"David," she whispered in realization. "He knows about what David did to me. The flowers-he's warning me of men like David probably. Hey, do you know what a white rose means?"

"No, but aren't red roses supposed to mean love," Hannibal easily lied.

"Yeah. Hold on, I'm going to look it up."

Elizabeth stood up and quickly called Jack on her phone as she walked into another room. Hannibal then stood up and walked over to a cabinet which he kept medicine in. He opened it, sighing silently as he took out a bottle, shuffling two pills out onto his palm. After closing the cabinet, he causally walked back over to the couch, dropping the pills into the glass of red wine. Hannibal's lips twitched as the white pills started to dissolve in the wine, eventually disappearing completely just as Elizabeth walked back into the room.

She sighed as he asked, "So, what does it mean?"

"That 'I am worthy of you'…or purity and innocence. A new beginning," Elizabeth said grimly. "I think the ripper might have a crush on me."

"He would be an idiot not to," he replied smiling. "More wine?"

"Not to sound like an alcoholic, but hell yes please," she pleaded.

Hannibal chuckled and handed her the wine glass, watching as she blindly drank from it. She smiled at him despite everything that she had gone through these couple of months. He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

"You're too sweet, Hannibal."

"May I ask you what happened with Roger Kane?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said softly.

"But you need to talk about this sooner or-"

"I said no, Hannibal," she interrupted him sternly. "It's late. I have to get up early in the morning. Thank you for the gift. Goodbye, Hannibal."

Elizabeth walked out of the house, feeling his eyes burning into her back. She walked back to her home, feeling an eerie wave wash over body as she saw a shadow move quickly into the darkness. Elizabeth reached into her bag and cocked her gun as quietly as possible as she unlocked her door, her gun at her side. She walked inside, slowly, each step quite and calculative.

She heard footsteps in her bathroom and her heart began to pound as she walked closer, raising the gun and preparing to fire when suddenly the door slams open and Meredith screams in fright at the sight of her gun.

"Mer!" She yelled in anger, putting her gun away. "What…what the hell are you doing here? God, I could've killed you."

"But you didn't," she said as a matter-of-fact.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Yeah whatever. What are you doing here?"

Meredith walked over to her and hugged her, laughing, "God, I missed your crazy ass, Lizzie!"

Elizabeth laughed and returned the hug. "I thought that I might never see you again, Mer."

Meredith shrugged. "Yeah, sorry for not calling you. I've been in Paris since you left."

"Ah," she drawled out. "A new beau?"

"Yes," Meredith gushed happily. "His name is Francis De'Laurie. He's so handsome, Lizzie and strong too. He's like a stallion in the bed I swear!"

"So I'm guessing that you like the French penis," Elizabeth mused as they walked into the kitchen for wine.

Meredith chuckled as she drank her wine. "Oh, yes, definitely. He can go on for hours and he does this thing with his tongue-"

"Ew, okay, stop," Elizabeth shouted at her. "I love you, but that's disgusting."

"Fine. So I hear that the ripper is terrorizing you and courting you…I'm sorry for what happened to David."

"It's alright. He's getting too close though. He seems to know every bit of my life, Meredith."

"Everything? Even how when you're drunk, you can't stop giggling?"

"That happens to everyone, but he knows my favorite flowers which I have never ever mentioned before at any time. There are no such pictures of my flowers so I wonder how he could've possibly known about them. He's been following me, I just know it. I can feel it crawl up my spine every time. He has a close eye on me and the people that I care about. Now that you're here, I fear that he will go after you. He seemed angry at David for hurting me. Hannibal thinks that it's because he wants me to see my mistakes and reevaluate my choice of men."

"From what I've seen from that Lounds girl's blog and the crime scene photos, it really looks like he's trying to impress you. Win your favor and I do hope you know that a white rose means marriage."

Elizabeth froze and her knees almost gave out. "W-What? You're insane."

"Okay, well, that was extreme of me. Alright, alright, it could mean that 'I'm thinking of you'…oh."

Elizabeth's jaw hardened. "Yeah like that's any better. He took the necklace Dad gave me, remember? The one with the moon pendent."

"I'm sorry. I know how much that necklace really meant to you, Lizzie. Perhaps you'll find it someday," Meredith assured her.

"I just hope that it's somehow not used against me," Elizabeth admitted worriedly.

* * *

Hannibal lied in bed late at night, the moonlight beaming through his window and onto the necklace in his hand. The silver moon pendent shined brightly hanging in front of him. If he closed his eyes and ignored the metal scent of it then he could be able to catch her scent. Elizabeth smelled of roses and lavender, one of the sweetest smells he couldn't resist not smelling every time she was near by.

He was completely captivated by this one woman yet she was special and trouble for him.

They were so much alike and she didn't even know it yet. Hannibal had planned out his every single move for Elizabeth right this very moment. He knew what he wanted to do with her…having her is and will never be enough.

 _She will be my protégé_ , Hannibal mused thoughtfully with a smirk. _Now that would be a sight to see no doubt…an honorable pure woman turned into darkness because of me and willing enough to do anything for me._

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	12. Chapter 12

"So," Elizabeth drawled out as she and Alana walked to work together with coffees in their hands. "Why aren't you already dating my brother from another mother, Laney?"

Alana smiled and gave her a look. "I mean no offense, but your brother is unstable and I don't want to just have an affair with him, but a stable relationship. We both can see that he is slowly breaking because of the things he's doing for Jack and he knows this."

Elizabeth nodded. "I've been trying to convince Will to let this go and go to teaching so that his mind won't burn or something. He doesn't listen to me and I know not to go to Jack because that conversation will be bullshit and won't mean a goddamn thing. I'm pissed off that my brother is being so reckless and their excuse is that 'oh, hey, he's saving lives', better he dies than them, right?"

"I'm just as angered by them as you are, Lizzie, but we can't do anything because they won't let us."

"Stupid men," Elizabeth grumbled.

Alana smirked. "Agreed. Now since you decided to interrogate my love life, then I can ask about you and Hannibal."

"Damn…I knew that you as a friend who didn't ask any questions would be too good to be true," she joked. "What was it that you wanted to ask?"

"Well, Hannibal says that he likes you a lot and I know you feel the same way, but judging by that necklace around your neck, I can tell that you two mean much more to each other than you both care to admit. What are your true feelings for Hannibal? Do you trust him?"

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "I somewhat trust him, but not completely. That's just my nerves talking of course. I feel something strong for Hannibal like a pull towards him. I wonder from time to time if what I was feeling was love, but I don't know. He gave this for our anniversary apparently."

"He called you his girlfriend once. You kiss, laugh, talk, and have dinners with each other every night. You both are in a relationship and together," Alana informed her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I guess so, but still I-I don't know, Alana. I can't stay away from him and that scares me. I want to be with him. He consumes me and it's only been a month since we've been dating."

"But it's been almost three months since you two met." She told her. "Listen, you're my friend and I want you to be happy. God knows you deserve it after two serial killers setting their sights on you and Hannibal is one of the good guys. You and everybody else know that so don't be afraid to let him in and see where it takes you."

"Maybe we should have a Girl's Night. You, me, and Meredith drinking and clubbing around the town without a care in the world," Elizabeth snorted.

"Promise?"

Elizabeth nodded firmly. "Oh hell yeah I promise. Hannibal probably won't be too happy that I am spending time away from him, but he'll get over it."

Elizabeth stopped in the hallway and blurted out to Alana, "I'm thinking of having sex with Hannibal."

Alana froze and stifled her laughter as she whirled around. "He's my colleague and friend, might I remind you?"

"I don't know what to do."

Alana quickly pulled her into the supply closet. "What do you mean by that? Are you a virgin still?"

"I only had sex with one man and he was the freaking butcher. I got knocked up on the first time, Alana," she whispered worriedly. "We used a condom a-and everything. Then once I found out that I was pregnant, Roger tried to kill me and that's when he told me who he was."

"Did he know that you were with child?"

She shook her head. "No. I didn't have time to. I remember that day as clear as day sadly. I was so happy to tell him, the man that I love that we were going to have a baby. I was depressed for a long time after the baby, but eventually I got back up on my feet. I'm scared that Hannibal will reject me."

"You're beautiful," Alana reminded her. "Hannibal more than likes you and like I said before, you can trust him not to hurt you like others before him did."

Elizabeth nodded and suddenly the door was opened.

 _Speaking of the devil_ , she thought.

"Hannibal," they greeted with smiles.

Hannibal glanced around the closet with curious eyes. "Strange place to converse, is it not?"

Alana looked back and forth between the two and said, "Well, I think Jack needs me so I'm just going to leave you both alone. Good-bye."

Alana quickly left and Hannibal stepped inside, closing the door behind him and turning on the light. He smiled down at her and loved a curl behind her ear.

"I hear that I'm your girlfriend," she mused.

"I hope you think the same."

"I do," she confessed. "You're my boyfriend. It's been a long time since I called anyone that."

"Me too," he agreed and continued, "What were you two talking about before I entered?"

"The truth?" He nodded in silent response. "You…and sex."

"What an interesting combination," he pondered. "What was your question, Elizabeth?"

"So formal," she taunted amusingly and leaned up to kiss him.

Hannibal wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She felt herself being pushed into the wall as Hannibal's lips grow more passionately as he trailed kisses down her jaw and then her neck. She moaned softly and gripped wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back to her lips where their tongues danced with each other feverishly.

"You unravel me," he rasped against her lips as her hands slipped under his coat, taking it off along with her own as the coats pooled around their feet. Her hands were on his chest as she led him to the other wall across from them, pushing him onto the wall, still kissing him.

"Good," she whispered and unbuttoned his jacket, her hands roamed his torso.

Hannibal's hands traveled under her shirt and she shivered when their skin made contact. A new feeling coursed over her entire body and she wanted to feel all of him. Elizabeth kissed his neck and jaw before slowly unbuttoning his vest. Hannibal suddenly lifted her up and she wrapped her legs quickly around his hips. He turned them around and her back hit the wall once again.

The air felt hot all around her causing her to breathe heavily and quickly. She moaned softly when he kissed her clothed breast, right on her nipple then he unbuttoned her black blouse and ripping it open. Hannibal gazed down at her white lace sheer balconette bra and muttered, "Beautiful."

She felt him kiss down her bare stomach, his hands placed on her hips, holding her still. He brought his lips back up her body until they were face to face, eyes wide open.

"I won't take you in a closet where people can hear so easily," Hannibal told her.

"I couldn't agree more…this was just a taste for you, Hannibal," she teased. "Of what you could have."

Hannibal smirked. "This evening, we will have dinner and continue this after."

He set her on her feet and she asked curiously, "How much self-control do you have with me?"

"When you're like this…none what's so ever," Hannibal acknowledged.

Elizabeth nodded and buttoned up her blouse as he did the same with his vest, fixing himself up again. He slicked his hair back and adjusted his suit.

"I like seeing the necklace on you," he commented. "It brings out the color in your hair."

"Red seems to do that for me," she said and picked up their coats, handing him his. "Just like dark colors work well with you. I rather like you in a suit…I can't seem to keep my hands off of you if we're being frank right now."

Hannibal pulled her back to him for another swift kiss on the lips before slipping her coat around her arms again and doing the same for his. Hannibal grabbed her hand into his and they walked out of the closet, smiling like fools as they walked into the room.

"Abel Gideon has escaped," Jack told them when the minute they stepped into the room.

"What do you want me to do?" Elizabeth asked.

"You have caught Gideon's interest and we all know that he seems to dote on you. You, Will, and Dr. Bloom will go to Dr. Frederick Chilton's office right now and see what he knows about Gideon's escape."

"What effect will I have on Dr. Chilton?"

"If you caught Gideon's interest then you have Dr. Chilton's interest as well," Jack informed her. "Charm or flirt with him if you have to."

"Jack," Hannibal started, but Elizabeth put a hand on his arm, shaking her head at him with pleading eyes.

"Is there a problem?" Jack asked curiously.

Elizabeth tensed and shook her head, forcing a smile on her face. "No, I'll go."

"Good." Jack said. "Oh and before I forget, are you two in a relationship?"

They looked at each other and Hannibal nodded. "Yes, we are."

"How long?"

"A month."

"Has the ripper made any threats to you lately?"

"None whatsoever."

"Has he been quite?"

Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her temples. "I think that the ripper is being quite because he doesn't know what to do yet with our relationship since he probably already knows about it. And how did you know about it, Jack?"

Will strode into the room and said, "There is something you might want to see, Lizzie."

He opened the laptop and in big mean red letters it read, **"DEATH IN HEELS CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM!"**

Then there was a picture of her and Hannibal holding hands and locking lips with each other. The article just kept on bashing on Elizabeth and how she was connected to the victims and caught the ripper's and Dr. Abel Gideon's attention. Then Freddie Lounds began to tell everybody that people should stay away from her unless they wanted to be cut opened and gutted.

"Fucking Freddie Lounds," she growled. "She basically ruined me and Hannibal! Is there anything that you could do about this, Jack?"

He shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, Lizzie, but it is Freedom of the Press. As much as I want to help you, my hands are tied because she's…she'll use that amendment and that it's her right to inform people of danger."

"You think I'm dangerous?!"

"No, but Freddie Lounds does."

Elizabeth scoffed and stormed out of the room, telling Will, "See you at the hospital."

She couldn't believe the gall of that disgusting woman. _Hannibal didn't even do anything to them so why was she even attacking him. None of this makes any sense! Why does she look so damn familiar anyways?!_

Elizabeth stepped in her car and her phone started to ring. She rolled her eyes at the Unknown Caller probably thinking that it was Jack or something. She answered, putting it on speaker, "Hello?"

"Hello, Agent Graham," Gideon's voice rang out into the car.

"Doc, hey, how's it going," she greeted casually, tensing in her seat.

"Not so good actually. Don't bother trying to contact someone from the outside. I want to talk to you."

"Why?"

"The ripper."

"Ah," she drawled out. "I honestly don't know why everybody's picking on me about the ripper. He's being unpredictable right now and I don't really know him. You, on the other hand, you feel scrambled right now. Unorganized and don't know who you are anymore, am I wrong?"

"Now Lizzie-"

"Am I wrong?" she asked sternly.

He chuckled. "Who angered you?"

"Freddie Lounds," she answered. "I'm tired of people these days."

"Tired of them?"

"Yes, I am. The ripper is constantly in my mind and I want him gone for good so stop making love sonnets to your boyfriend already."

"You have a temper."

"We all have tempers and it's how we control them that define us on control."

"Oh, dear," Gideon whispered in delight. "You're losing it, aren't you? Losing yourself in death and madness…what a pity."

Her hands tightened onto the wheel as she said evenly, "You do not want to get on my bad side, Doctor. You come near the people that I love and I will end you."

"That's a little dark for you, don't you think?"

"I seem to attract sickos and psychopaths these days, I'm not afraid of the dark anymore," she replied coldly. "But you are and you want the ripper's attention which means that you're probably coming for me and will hand me over to him as an engagement present since I'm pissing him off every second that I am still living and breathing in this world."

"He finds you amusing, Elizabeth. He likes the way you think in my understanding from the other side, I would to. You are persistent and tenacious to get what you want which is the ripper."

Elizabeth shook her head and told him, "No, I want justice…and to see you both behind bars in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. That is what I want, Dr. Gideon!"

She hung and shoved her phone away from her, yelling in frustration.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Next chapter, we will get to finally meet Dr. Frederick Chilton after all these chapters. They were supposed to meet first time when she talked to Gideon, but I decided against it since it seemed too early. I hoped you liked this chapter since Hannibal and Elizabeth got hot and heavy for a moment.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	13. Chapter 13

Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair and then snuggled up closer to the seat of her car which was too warm to leave. After a moment of calming herself down from the heated conversation she had with Dr. Gideon earlier, Elizabeth finally got out of the car and walked inside of the hospital.

"Do you have an appointment with Dr. Chilton?" The secretary said rudely.

"FBI. He's expecting me and two others. Dr. Alana Bloom and Special Agent Will Graham," Elizabeth answered as she walked into the office of Frederick Chilton.

"Wait-"

Elizabeth closed the door behind her and a well-dressed man in a seat sitting behind a desk sat up which she assumed to be Dr. Chilton.

"Frederick, so lovely to see you again" she greeted and walked more into the room.

"Long time no see indeed. Agent Graham. I didn't even know that Will had a sister."

"You and everybody else," she replied and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm here about Dr. Abel Gideon."

"Yes," he started. "I've been very anxious and curious to meet you again. You are the talk of every conversation."

"You've been waiting to meet me," she questioned. "Why?"

Frederick stood up and put his hands in his pockets. "I remember the first time we met. Meredith took me to see you when you were giving a lecture on Roger Kane, The Bayard Butcher."

"There were a lot of people I met that afternoon. Sorry for being rude the firs time we met," she told him.

"Now we're somewhat friends."

"Somewhat," she told him. "So what has he been talking about me?"

"The question is why you are his topic of choice," Frederick pondered as he came closer to her. "He's very interested in you."

"Because The Ripper is," she told him. "Don't forget who planted that thought inside of his head. He doesn't know who he is right now; you could say that he's having some sort of identity crisis. He's not as confused as before. You wanted him to be the ripper and now he's showing you what he's capable of."

"I heard that the ripper's been terrorizing you," he commented. "What did he do?"

"Meredith and her mouth will get her in trouble one day. Well, he knows everything about me including what I like."

"David Heads," Frederick answered. "Boyfriend, I'm assuming."

"Yeah," she replied softly. "He was. He was a real controlling asshole though."

"And the ripper decided to end his life because he thought of him as a pig." He realized.

"Yup. Even gave me flowers. My favorite ones. Meredith said that the white flower means 'I'm thinking of you'," Elizabeth told him and stared out the window. "He's taken my favorite necklace, broke into my house, played a threatening song about how the man would rather kill the girl then see her with anyone else, and wrote me a poem."

"A poem? There was so such record of that, Agent Graham," he reminded her.

She nodded. "I know and no need for formality. Call me Elizabeth."

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this?"

"Because the poem was nicely placed under my pillow after I went to sleep. It wasn't there before I slept," she confessed coldly.

"You're scared."

She rolled her eyes. "Anyone would be. He was in the same room as me when I was sleeping and close enough to kill me."

"He's making a point that he could've killed you, but spared you because he has more planned for you," Frederick said grimly. "You attract a lot of serial killers with mental disorders, Elizabeth Graham."

She groaned and smiled sarcastically, "Oh, Doc, don't remind me."

Frederick chuckled in amusement. "You're much more agreeable than your brother."

"That's because you haven't pissed me off yet."

"Can I see the poem?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What makes you think I have it on me?"

"Because you want to remind yourself exactly what you're dealing with, Elizabeth. You don't want to be fooled twice. You know the saying, right? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice-"

"That will never happen," Elizabeth interrupted him saying.

"Never say never," he told her. "Now let me see the poem."

She sighed and handed the piece of paper that was in her pocket over to him as he read aloud:

"I'll gaze no more on her bewitching face,  
Since ruin harbours there in every place;  
For my enchanted soul alike she drowns  
With calms and tempests of her smiles and frowns.  
I'll love no more those cruel eyes of hers,  
Which, pleased or anger'd, still are murderers :  
For if she dart, like lightning, through the air  
Her beams of wrath, she kills me with despair :  
If she behold me with a pleasing eye,  
I surfeit with excess of joy, and die.

Greetings From _The Ripper_."

He sighed. "Well, that definitely sends a message, doesn't it?"

"It's called Murdering Beauty by Thomas Carew. Tobias sent me a poem similar to this one."

"Do you think that it's The Copycat Killer?" He asked.

"Could it be possible?"

"No, it would be impossible and yet possible. What game is he playing with you? He's never done this before."

"Perhaps he has and we just haven't found out about it yet." Elizabeth suggested.

"You need to realize how careful and cautious you must be from now on, Elizabeth."

"You don't think that I know that," she snapped coldly at him. "I know that I need to be what he wants me to be right now without causing suspicion."

"And what's that I'm wondering?"

"If my life is a chessboard and am I forever going to be a pawn?" Elizabeth questioned lowly in thought as she looked out into the distance.

"So how's Meredith?"

"Why do you want to know? Didn't you two break up a couple of months back?"

He nodded. "She's in town, isn't she?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I saw her at the store when I was out of sugar. She looked sad and tired."

"She's going through some stuff. I can't tell you anymore because I'm her friend, not yours anymore. She would kill me if she found out that I talked to you."

"Just because we broke up, doesn't mean that I don't care about her. I do. Heartily."

Just then Will and Alana walked into the room when Frederick was pointing a magnifying glass onto the piece of paper which held the poem, but as soon as he saw them, he casually hid it in one of his books.

They shared a look before Will asked, "Are we interrupting anything?"

"No," she responded after a moment. "We were just getting acquainted actually."

* * *

"You must force yourself to take a step back," Bedelia informed Hannibal as they sat across from each other.

"Just watch him lose his mind," Hannibal questioned.

"You've already made Elizabeth your girlfriend against my advice to you not to do so. You gave her a necklace and are now deciding to be intimate with her, am I wrong?"

"No, you are not."

"This is only in a month that you've made these big decisions. People usually take time before they take big steps such as you have done. That is what truly worries me because of how quickly attached you seemed to be to her."

"I like her."

"How much?"

"A lot."

"Why, Hannibal? What draws you in her world every time?"

"I tried to take a step away from her, but I can't stop thinking about her. Elizabeth is like me in most ways than either of you think her to be. She has this light in her eyes and I want to snuff it out every so often," Hannibal replied.

"You have extreme interests in the both of them, why is that?"

"They are my friends," he said simply.

"Experiments can't be your friends, Hannibal."

"Elizabeth is not like that. I want her."

"I know, but every time you feel yourself losing control, you must leave." Bedelia warned him. "You must take a step back with Elizabeth and leave. Do you understand? It is crucial that you leave when your control is losing. You lose control most when it involves Elizabeth. She's a different personality from you, Hannibal. She will get curious and will want answers from you later on. If she's anything like you as you claim she is then if you lose control then she will get suspicious of who you actually are between the two Hannibals that I know of."

After a moment of silence, Hannibal replied evenly, "I know. That's what I'm waiting for actually."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I know that some of you are probably confused about Hannibal right now. Well, Hannibal's main reason is to keep Elizabeth close to him since she is the one working on his case and by the first time he met her he realized just how much of a threat she is to him. So he decides to get close to her because he was curious to see what would happen if he were to be her friend. He doesn't love her, but he feels something for her once he realizes within time that they are a lot like. He wants to now make her like him and Will. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	14. Chapter 14

Elizabeth stared at the board of that day the ripper made a move against her. In one corner held the gruesome crime scene photos of David. In the other was a picture of the flowers inside of David's torso, her missing necklace and the information on his life in just a couple of pieces of paper. She sighed and rubbed her eyes a little bit.

"I thought I might find you in here," Hannibal said as he came into the office.

She gave him a small smile as he walked over to her and kissed the top of her head.

"You're troubled," Hannibal commented.

"I'm so tired, Hannibal. I just…he frightens me."

Hannibal's eyebrows rose in surprise as he sat down next to her on the desk. "I didn't think you could be frightened so easily."

"I'm not, but I know that if I keep on pursuing him, someone I care about will die. David is only the beginning of his plan. I wonder what exactly this guy wants from me," Elizabeth confessed. "I don't want you to die, Hannibal."

"I won't."

She turned towards him and looked at him with a sorrowful look then cupped his cheek. "But what happens if he does something to you."

"What would you do to him if he did?"

"Why do you want to know?"

After a moment of silence, he shrugged. "Because I want to see what would happen."

A cold look came onto her face as she responded, "I'll hunt him down and kill him, Hannibal."

Hannibal smirked and then kissed her lips passionately, pulling her close by the hips. It was almost eight right and yet the day seemed to go so slow with no new leads on Gideon's escape or the Ripper's as well. Se felt like someone was purposely yanking her string or something. She ended the kiss and Hannibal whispered, "As I would do the same for you."

"That's a little fucked up, don't you think," she muttered in amusement.

Hannibal chuckled and kissed her temple. "Perhaps…love works in mysterious ways in my opinion."

Her eyes widened and sighed, "Christ, you can't say those kinds of things to me, Hanni-"

He silenced her with a quick soft kiss and told her, "It was just an expression."

"Oh," she breathed.

She jumped when the door flew open and Jack came in. He pointed a finger at them, saying, "I regret giving my blessing on this."

They chuckled and Hannibal replied, "You cannot take a blessing back, Jack."

"Well, I guess we better get going. I'll look over Gideon's file again," She told Jack.

"And stay with either Will or Hannibal, got it, agent?"

She solute him and hoped off the desk. "Got it, boss. I'll be with Hannibal if anyone needs me."

He gave a nod to me and then Hannibal and I walked out of the building together.

"I feel it is my duty to be honest with you and tell you about my interesting conversation with Will just an hour ago," Hannibal sighed after a moment.

"What happened? What did he say?" she asked worriedly.

Hannibal opened the car door for her and she reluctantly stepped inside then went to the driver's side, joining her.

"Okay now spill, Lecter, what's wrong with my brother?"

As Hannibal drove them home, he said, "He doesn't know who he is and can't seem to tell which is real and which is a dream. His mind is an enigma just like yours sometimes, but much…much worse."

Elizabeth sunk in her seat and stared straight ahead with her lips parting. "I'm a horrible sister."

"No, you're not."

She nodded furiously. "Yes, I am. I should've seen this sooner and yet I didn't. Oh, God! How could I have missed this from him? I'm so concerned with The Ripper that I've somehow managed to completely ignore his cry for help."

Hannibal pulled into his driveway and turned to her. "It is not your fault. I am going to help him as much as I can, you know that, don't you?"

She nodded and sniffled. "I just feel like I'm sometimes losing my mind over all of this crap, Hannibal. I keep on having headaches too."

He stroked her hair and muttered, "Come inside and I'll get you something to drink and some medication to help the pain."

"Thank you," she whispered as he wiped her tears from her eyes which were shining brightly in the darkness. "Let's go inside."

They both got out of the car and walked inside, locking the door behind her. She felt this heat in the bottom of her belly as he stood behind her. His hands slid across her stomach as she leaned into his chest when he kissed her neck.

"What happened to dinner," she whispered.

Hannibal's hands unbuttoned her blouse and he replied, "I can't wait it seems."

Elizabeth chuckled softly and turned around in his arms, slipping the shirt off of her shoulders and to the ground. "Neither can I…maybe we are the same after all."

Hannibal unbuttoned his vest and shirt, taking them off of him until they fell on the floor. She slipped off her shoes and walked backwards as she started to take off the rest of her clothes, planning to go upstairs. She giggled when he came closer, catching her around the waist before lifting her up until she wrapped her legs around him. They walked upstairs to the master bedroom, falling onto the bed, naked as the day that they were born with a trail of clothes following them behind.

Hannibal kissed her passionately and she smiled against his lips when she felt his cock hard against her inner thigh. She moaned when he rubbed it against her wetness. He bent his head to kiss each of her hardened nipples, nipping at them to make her jump a little. She arched her back in pleasure as he kissed every inch of her body, marking it as his in Hannibal's mind.

He kissed up her body again before mumbling against her breasts, "Elizabeth."

"Hannibal…please."

She gasped in shock when his hand suddenly entered her, her walls hugging his finger. Hannibal had her wrists trapped in his hand while the other one played with her….and kept on torturing her.

"Tell me what you want."

"I want you," she moaned softly.

"Want what?" He asked not so innocently. "Say my name."

Her head thrashed slowly from side to side, biting her lips to keep her moans in as Hannibal kissed her neck and chest.

"Oh…Hannibal," she moaned loudly in climax as a wave of relief came washing over her causing her to completely forget everything.

Hannibal removed his fingers from her, sucking on them as they locked eyes.

"That's a little disgusting, don't you think?" she mused.

"Not with yours," he whispered before giving her a demanding kiss.

"I've only done this with one other man," she blurted out timidly. "It was Roger."

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before telling her, "Good."

"Wait, but why though?"

Hannibal kissed her jaw as he mumbled, "What is that they say about 1st and 2nd again? First the worst, second the best."

Elizabeth burst out laughing as did Hannibal before he gave one powerful thrust inside of her causing her to gasp.

"See? Hard part's over," he whispered then thrust inside of her again, her walls tightening around his cock which seemed to get bigger and harder while inside of her.

Elizabeth's fingers dug into his arms as he pounded inside her, shaking the bed though she was too deep into the pleasure that she was receiving to care. He was rough and she somehow liked it. She moaned loudly and her hands slipped from his arms, balling up the sheets into her fists.

Elizabeth's legs tightened around his waist and he felt her squeeze his butt a little before he smacked hers playfully. He slapped her butt again, liking how she tightened in shock or fright maybe? He honestly couldn't tell, but he doubted that it was fright, seeing as how she kept moaning his name.

His hand went under her leg and lifted it up onto his shoulder. He groaned when his eyes shamelessly went to her bouncing breasts as the heard board shook against the wall. He growled when he felt himself coming too soon to release and he didn't want that just yet. He could see how close she was too, striving to hold onto the extreme amount of pleasure that they were feeling with each other.

 _ **DING DONG!**_

Elizabeth groaned in displeasure as the thought of stopping. "Don't stop."

Hannibal didn't reply to her, but he did pound into her faster as the doorbell kept ringing furiously for some reason. She moved to get up, but his hand on her shoulder stopped her from doing so.

"Fuck," he cursed.

Elizabeth laughed. "I've never…oh…heard you curse."

Hannibal chuckled breathlessly against her lips, sweat coating their bodies. "You bring out the worst in me."

She didn't even hear him as she felt this ringing in her ears. "What? I didn't hear you."

"Never mind," he told her innocently, smirking against her neck before they groaned as they climaxed together, the ringing of bells in her ears from either her brain or the doorbell.

Hannibal put his weight on her as they caught their breath. His head came up and chuckled at the tired expression on her face. "So beautiful."

"Ditto."

He kissed her cheek before telling her, "Guess I need to see who's at my door at this hour."

"Mmhm." She tiredly hummed when he pulled out of her.

She peeked her eyes open a little and sighed in relief when she saw that he was wearing a condom, "Thank God. I thought that we had forgotten about the condom."

"Don't worry, Elizabeth. I'm always prepared," Hannibal told her as he took it off then grabbed a robe.

Elizabeth's eyes were already closed and Hannibal pulled the covers from under her and over her small frame, kissing her hair.

He walked downstairs after discarding the used condom into the bathroom trash bin, the doorbell still ringing once he opened the door and found a woman there.

"Hello," he greeted politely. "May I help you?"

"Yeah, hi. I'm Meredith Hopkins and I'm wondering if you know where Elizabeth Graham is…you're Hannibal Lecter right? Her lover or something?"

His eyebrows rose at the last sentence before he corrected, "Boyfriend actually. What do you want from her?"

"Is she here? It's kind of important that I speak with her right away."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid she's gone to sleep already." Hannibal said.

"Well, wake her up or something. I need to talk to her," Meredith said, clearly annoyed. "Tell her it's Meredith and that bitch will wake up like she's expecting Santa Claus on Christmas."

He stared at her blankly as he responded, "I'm not going to wake her after the day she's had so come back in the morning. Tomorrow please. Thank you."

"Okay, fine. Whatever," Meredith scoffed before turning around and storming away to next door-Elizabeth's house. He stared after her for a moment before closing the door and silently walking back upstairs. He pulled on his silk pajama pants before sliding into bed beside her. Hannibal tilts his head to the side as he studied the sleeping woman in front of him. He moved a stray blonde curl out of her face. He could so easily kill her and end this all, but there were now two problems standing in his way.

The first one was Elizabeth's friend…Meredith Hopkins.

Hannibal wondered what Elizabeth would do if he just decided to murder Meredith for her rudeness to him earlier.

 _I wonder what will happen…_

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! So sorry that I haven't updated for a long time, but I have been so, so busy with school that I really didn't have any time.**

 **I wanted to save the sex for later, but then this scene with Meredith and Hannibal and later scenes really go back to this moment in time for them.**

 **Meredith is probably on his list, but Hannibal wonders if she is worth killing.**

 **He keeps on reminding himself that this is only a game of what ifs in a way. He is definitely confused about Elizabeth, but now he wants to keep her beside him for other reasons which will be revealed in like Season 2 maybe. I just really want to get to Season 2 because for this story, a lot of shit is going to go down. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	15. Chapter 15

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered opened and she felt cold air on her naked back causing her to turn around in the bed. The sheet being held tightly against her chest when she sat up. She glanced around and saw her clothes nicely folded near the fireplace. She stood up and put on her clothes, vaguely hearing her phone ring somewhere.

Elizabeth made the bed, not liking it messy and unmade. She searched for her phone and found it in her coat pocket, answering it immediately.

"Yes?"

"It's Gideon. He's killed again. Go on Tattle Crime." Jack told her.

"I'll come to the office and go to Katz and the kids."

"Kids? Clever." Jack mused before he hung up.

Elizabeth out her phone back into her back pocket before walking out of the room, wondering where Hannibal was. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was seven o'clock. She followed the delicious smell of breakfast that led to the kitchen which held Hannibal cooking a "feast". She saw him making eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage, coffee, and vegetables in various pans all over the kitchen counters.

She smirked as she leaned against the wall, musing in question, "So who else is going to be joining us on this beautiful morning, Dr. Lecter?"

Hannibal looked up then smiled as he wiped his hands on the towel nearby. "I didn't know what you liked."

Elizabeth chuckled and walked towards him. "How long have you been up? It must've taken a long time to create all of this."

He shook his head. "Not that long actually. I woke up an hour ago."

He suddenly kissed her lips passionately and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. He gripped her hair into his hand and his other hand tailed under her shirt. His fingers touched her bare skin and then turned her around, her back to his chest. Elizabeth felt his fingers dip into her pants and then her panties. She shook her head and murmured, "No…have to go to…t-to the office. Murder."

"Hannibal," she moaned softly when his fingers started to rub her clit slowly.

"I like it when you say my name for some reason," he murmured against her throat. "You confuse me."

"Well, you consume me," Elizabeth told him as his fingers moved inside of her.

"I know," Hannibal replied slowly then moved away from her. "Which us why you tend to push me away."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Rule number one of our relationship has to be that we can't psychoanalyze each other especially you."

"Why is that?" He asked as he washes his hands in the sink.

"Because I don't want to be treated as one of your patients, Hannibal. I'd prefer it if we actually talked like a couple. I want this relationship to be different than my last unsuccessful ones. I like talking to you."

"I would hope so because if you did not then it would be quite a confusing relationship." He chuckled. "I would never treat you like that."

"No, you're just too polite to say anything," Elizabeth joked.

He shook his head firmly and cupped the side of her face gently. "I wish you would believe me when I tell you that you can trust my words-trust me."

She sighed heavily, "Trust is earned. I can't just magically hand it over."

She rubbed her eyes and told him, "Listen, I have to go. Jack wants me over at the office. Gideon's killed again. I need to go."

"You haven't eaten breakfast yet." He reminded her. "I've made all of this for you."

Elizabeth immediately felt guilty. "If I stay, then Jack will have my head because I'm late."

Hannibal walked closer to her and his fingers touched her hand. "I want to eat breakfast with you, Elizabeth. Guess you could say that I want to know the feeling of the normalcy it brings."

After a moment, she nodded. "Alright."

"Here. Take these. It's Advil," Hannibal told her, holding out his hand with two white pills in the palm of his hand. "I know how much your head's been hurting."

She gave him a grateful smile and took the pills from him, swallowing them down with a gulp of water.

* * *

"So glad that you could join us, Elizabeth," Jack greeted sarcastically.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "What happened?"

She looked closely at the three men spread out on metal tables across the room. The most recent one caught her eye since his tongue was somehow pulled from out of his mouth and lying on his chest, still connected to his throat. The scene looked too familiar.

"Dr. Carson Nahn. He's the psychiatric attending at Western General. He interviewed Dr. Gideon for the same psychopathy survey I participated in two years go." Alana explained to them.

"Total frenectomy, webbing under the tongue; even the connective tissue all the way into the throat is cut free and pulled through for the, uh, desired effect," Brian informed.

Jack sighed. "Still no word from Dr. Chilton?"

"He hasn't answered his phone since yesterday, didn't show up for work today," Alana replied, glancing at her and Will.

Elizabeth's phone ringed and she gave an apologetic smile to Jack as they others continued their conversation while she answered, "Hello?"

" _Hi, my name is Jane Goode. Is this Elizabeth Graham?"_

"Yes, this is she. What is going on?"

" _Um, I was wondering if you knew where Meredith Hopkins is. She isn't answering her phone and hasn't come into work. I'm her boss and a concerned friend."_

A chill went up her spine. "Has she been missing since yesterday?"

" _I believe so. How did you know that?"_

"Listen, I'm going to have to call you back. Just tell them that I am sick." Elizabeth told her. "Oh, wait."

" _Yes?"_

"How did you get this number?"

" _Why you're her emergency contact, Ms. Graham? We require all of our employees to have someone to call."_

"Require? What exactly does Meredith do?" She asked suspiciously.

" _I'm sorry, Ms. Graham. I'm not at liberty to say. Have a nice day."_ Jane quickly snapped and hung up.

Elizabeth stared stunned at the door and turned around as Jack asked, "Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not."

"What happened?" Will asked.

"Gideon took Meredith. She's been missing since yesterday."

"Why would Gideon take Meredith?" Will thought aloud.

Elizabeth sighed and said softly, "Because Dr. Chilton is practically in love with her."

"And how do you know this?" Jack interrogated her.

"They used to date each other a while back. She broke it off for some reason. He's always been in love with her, acted like puppy dog following her back then. Meredith Hopkins is Frederick Chilton's love of his life and all the crap. Gideon found out about her, took her because she represents his weakness…"

"Meredith is also Elizabeth's best friend," Will added. "Chilton has been very interested in you, remember? And something tells me you've been pressing his buttons lately."

Elizabeth glared at her brother, snapping coldly, "Look, if she dies it will only kill Dr. Chilton that the only woman he has ever loved died because of him, but Gideon knows how much she means to me. It will kill me too if she's dead."

"Two birds, one stone," Jack realized as he nodded.

"Exactly. So, Will, why don't save this bullshit lecture for later on _after_ we find them. Hopefully still alive," Elizabeth barked lowly at him. "Do we know where they are?"

"The Ripper is telling us where he is." Jack explained to her. "Remember where we last saw a severed arm?"

"Oh, my God," she whispered. "I'm coming with you."

"No-" Jack started to protest.

"I need to know if she's okay. It's my fault that she's even in this mess."

"No, Lizzie, this is on Dr. Chilton," Jack reminded her. "He scrambled Gideon's mind and now Gideon is looking for revenge."

"Then why the hell is the ripper in on this then? Why go after Meredith? She's an innocent."

Will shook his head. "Perhaps she crossed his path-I don't know honestly. Or it could be the fact that they both know how much she means to you?"

"Has he contacted with you?" Jack asked.

Elizabeth sighed. "Yes."

They all turned to her and Alana was the first to ask, "When?"

"How?" Will asked next.

"And why didn't you tell us?"

She licked her lips and gulped nervously. "He broke into my house again, the same night that he broke into the first time. It was a poem he placed under my pillow while I was sleeping…I'm sure that it was not there before I went to sleep. I told Frederick about it when we went to go see him."

"You're close with him." Jack said.

She nodded. "Close, but not close enough to where I share everything with him. He says that that the ripper did it to show me how easy it is to kill me."

"He must know about you and Hannibal." Alana added on.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, this has nothing to do that. I think that he's doing it for his own amusement now. He likes to see me get frightened which is why I've been staying at Hannibal's and then Meredith came into town and was staying at my house."

"Let's move out then. Will you ride with me and Lizzie-"

"I'll drive myself," Elizabeth immediately interrupted and turned around, striding towards the doors.

It it felt long on the road as she drove up there alone.

So many scenarios ran through her mind while she was driving that eventually her head started to hurt. As she drove on the quite road, she reached into her bag to grab the pill bottle that Hannibal gave her to relieve the pain of her headache which seemed to increase now. She opened it up with the fling of her thumb before popping some on them in mouth.

A few minutes after swallowing them did her head start tot hurt again. Elizabeth's hands flexed and unflexed around the wheel, suddenly feeling that they were numb. She kept on clenching them into fists and then spreading them as she tried to man the wheel with her forearms.

Her eyes went shut as she gripped her head, pulling off into the side of the road quickly. She stumbled out of her car and towards the woods area, hearing voices inside of her head. She fell to her knees, still gripping her head as it pounded furiously.

A branch that cracked behind her caught her attention and without even thinking, she turned around, seeing Roger there looking deader with his body torn, and split open like before. She saw him stagger closer to her, saying softly, "Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie, you're going crazy."

She cocked her gun and pointed it at him. "Stay the hell away from me. You're dead."

"Not in your head I'm not. I'm missing apparently," he taunted with a smirk. "I'm supposed to be in the prison right, but you switched me out with someone else, remember?"

Elizabeth firmly pointed her gun at him. "I killed you; you were going to kill Will."

He nodded. "I'm your dirty little secret, aren't I? No one knows that you killed me. They'll think that I somehow escaped. I bet it's just eating you up right now that you're just like me."

"Fuck you! I'm nothing like you! You're a monster!" She yelled at him, tears burning her eyes.

"And you're a murderer." He sang happily. "Let's face it! Letting me rot in prison, wasn't enough for you. Come on, don't use Will as an excuse. Deep down you want to end my life…and now you feel so guilty that I'm inside of your head everyday now forever and ever."

"AH!" Elizabeth screamed and she fired her gun at him, shooting him over and over and over again uncontrollably.

* * *

"He's had a mild seizure," Hannibal told Gideon after he checked Will and took the gun out from his hands, inspecting it.

"That doesn't seem to bother you," Gideon observed curiously.

The mask of fake genuine he usually put on his face for others now slipped away when he looked up at Gideon, reminding him almost callously, "I said it was mild."

After a moment of letting his words sink into Gideon's mind, Hannibal sets the gun down onto the table as he sat down, inquiring, "Are you the man who claimed to be the Chesapeake Ripper?"

"Why do you say 'claimed'?"

Hannibal almost scoffed at Gideon's question, but he tamed that part of him.

For now.

"Because you're not. You know you're not, and you don't know much more about who you are beyond that."

"Are you the Ripper?"

"A terrible thing…to have your identity taken from you." Hannibal replied calmly.

"Well, I'm taking it back, one piece at a time," Gideon held defiantly. "One piece at a time. You should see the pieces I got out of my psychiatrist."

"Alana Bloom was one of your psychiatrists too. Is that right?"

"Yes, Dr. Bloom," he drawled out.

Hannibal looked over at Will who was still unconscious, stuck in between realities he couldn't lift himself out of. His thoughts drifted towards Elizabeth, the woman who was beginning to surprise him. She somehow figured him out in the moment that they met then most do in years like his colleagues for example. Hannibal wondered what would happen if she got too close to who he really was. _Where would we be in the future? Who would she be for me? What dark secrets is she hiding from me?_

"I can tell you where to find her," Hannibal finally came to conclusion. "If you give me back Meredith Hopkins."

"I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Hannibal immediately snapped in a composed voice. "She wasn't with Dr. Chilton and Ms. Lounds when Jack Crawford found them. Where did you put her?"

Gideon let his lips curve. "I noticed that your house smells fantastic…like lavender and…and roses. Elizabeth has been here often. I hear she's fond of roses-well, used to be at least until you ruined that for her of course."

"Why are you interested in Elizabeth?"

"Why are you?" Gideon threw back at him. "I think it's clever what you're doing with her actually. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. She'll be broken if she falls for you and then finds out who you really are. It'll crush her…just like the Bayard Butcher did. You know I found something very interesting in his files."

"Why should this concern me?"

"Because you should really look at the prisoner. Appearances can be very deceiving in this case." Gideon answered.

"You give me Meredith Hopkins and I will give you Alana Bloom."

"Why do you want Meredith so badly anyways?" Gideon inquired intriguingly.

"Well, let's just say that history likes to repeat itself," Hannibal told him.

* * *

His phone rang once Will left, his plan slowly coming into order. He answered it to a hyperventilating Elizabeth, she seemed almost psychotic which made Hannibal smirk the entire drive up there. He easily found her car on the side of the road. He followed her footsteps into the snow and found her staring blankly at something.

Hannibal stood beside her as he too stared down at the man's dead corpse, his blood staining the snow around him. He bent down and pulled the body over which he now laid on his back. This man was a stranger and very much dead as there were multiple gun wounds in the chest, suggesting overkill.

"What happened?" Hannibal asked her softly as he sat down next to her.

"My headaches have been getting worse and those pills you gave me aren't really working I think. I-I thought that he was Roger and-and I lost it."

"Elizabeth, you have to tell me what happened to Roger to make you overkill a man."

"Oh, God, I did overkill on him," she whispered in horror. "I am a murderer, just like Roger said I was. I-I didn't mean to kill Roger-"

"You killed Roger?" Hannibal asked surprised at the new information. He wondered if this was her big dark secret. _That would explain why she never wanted to talk to me about Roger. Because he was the man she killed carelessly._

She nodded furiously. "He killed all these girls that looked like me, Hannibal. He played with me, he was so horrible. Before he was arrested, he tried to rape me and was going to skin me alive. He kept on taunting me about everyone he ever killed. I hated him. I felt like justice wasn't served and that prison would be letting him go too easy. So I switched him out of prison with someone else. I brought him to the woods and stabbed him over and over again until my hands were covered in blood. I don't regret killing him and that's what scares me, Hannibal. I liked killing him…does that make me a cold blooded killer now?"

Hannibal smiled softly and cupped the side of her face when she looked at him with her innocent doe eyes. "No. They haven't caught you and never will. I'll help you move this man's body. I'll lie for you if I have to. You were at my house all night; we stayed up and watched movies while I read a couple of books, alright?"

Elizabeth exhaled in relief and nodded. "Thank you."

They stood up and Hannibal said, "I brought shovels. Let's dig."

After putting the body six feet in the ground, Hannibal walked over to Elizabeth who stared at the ground which held the body inside of it.

They leaned their foreheads against each other's and she kissed his lips. Hannibal threaded his hand through her curls, pulling her closer to him. He backed her into the tree and kissed her neck. Elizabeth removed their coats, never taking her eyes off of Hannibal as she also unbuttons his vest and unbuckles him.

Elizabeth didn't really know what possessed her to even think about having sex with Hannibal after they just buried a body together…but she felt this intimacy with him. She felt like she could trust him.

Hannibal saw what she was thinking in her eyes and led her to the ground with him on top. The coldness didn't matter to him or her as he ripped a hole in her leggings that she complimented with a beige skirt. Elizabeth gasped at the sudden beastly action that he did to her leggings, opening her wetness to the cold breeze.

Hannibal crashed his lips into hers as he unzipped his pants and took out his hard cock, entering her in one quick movement. She wrapped her hands around his biceps as he thrust into her, groaning lowly. She bit her lip and arched her back in pleasure, moaning loudly.

"Elizabeth," he sighed in satisfaction.

Her legs tightened around him as she gripped him suddenly. "I trust you, Hannibal. I trust you. I trust you, oh God!"

Hannibal wanted to rip her shirt open and nuzzle his nose into her breasts, but her black turtleneck stopped him since he had already ruined one article of clothing and didn't want to ruin another.

Elizabeth whimpered before climaxing hard, "Hannibal."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! It astounds me how much you like the story, but makes me extremely happy. The relationship between Hannibal and Elizabeth will get toxic and twisted within time. It'll get pretty crazy.**

 **I wanted Elizabeth to feel extremely guilty for killing Roger because he's one of her dark secrets. This only influences Hannibal to continue his treatment on her. I mean we all know what he does to Will and I wanted to make those situations familiar, but not at all the same. Hannibal now realizes that she's very good at masking her emotions like he said before; she hasn't gotten caught for killing him. What he does to Meredith is pretty fucked up, but that won't come up now sadly. Elizabeth will slowly start to feel like she's losing her mind and guess what? Hannibal will be there "somehow" to save the day to the point where now she's depending on him.**

 **The sex scene in the woods symbolizes a change within their relationship that there is an intimate bond between them that no one can really break. Also that there is something dark that is growing inside of Elizabeth. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	16. Chapter 16

Elizabeth's eyes were still closed, her mind forcing her to succumb to sleep as she slept on the couch in Will's hospital room. She felt a hand stroking her hair then a long finger ran itself softly across her cheekbone. Elizabeth wanted to desperately wake up to see who had disrupt her sleep, but her eyes kept themselves shut tight. She was curled up in a ball almost and she wanted to shield herself from the world that held darkness. An inch away, reaching out to her.

Elizabeth felt the pull of darkness…swallowing her with each lie she told. Now she had pulled Hannibal into her world, letting him be swallowed as well. Though as much as she tried to push him away, Hannibal gripped tightly onto her, never letting go. Elizabeth wondered if it was a good or bad thing.

Someone shook her lightly and Hannibal's voice came into her mind, "Elizabeth, wake up. It's time to go home, darling."

Elizabeth's eyes slowly peeled open and she sat up, glancing around to see that Will was already asleep.

"How long have you been there?" she asked.

"Not long. A couple of minutes," he replied.

She nodded and stood up as Hannibal put his hand on the middle of her back leading her out of the room.

Hannibal started off with saying, "How's Will?"

"He had a fever of 105 apparently. The doctors can't figure out what's wrong with him. They said that they'll keep running tests, but I doubt that they'll find anything," Elizabeth informed him as they walked to his car, stepping inside of it.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"So am I."

There was this long moment of silence between them until Hannibal boldly asked, "Is there a reason why you're being awkward around me…like I am a stranger to you?"

Elizabeth didn't meet his eyes as she answered him in an impassive voice, "I killed someone. Again, Hannibal. So excuse me if I really don't want to make small talk with you right now."

Hannibal gripped the steering wheel tightly and then suddenly pulled to the side of the road, turning off the car. They sat in silence for a minute or two before Hannibal said, "When I met you, I wanted to know everything about you, Elizabeth. Every. Single. Little. Thing. I liked how you came to me when you were in trouble."

She stared at him incredulously and scoffed, "You mean you liked it when I came to you for murder."

"Yes, I did. I like that you can trust me now," Hannibal explained. "Besides, it was a new experience for me to have sex near a dead body."

"Oh, my God," she groaned in shame. "We had sex near the guy I just killed. I can't believe that I did that."

"So why did you?" He asked curiously, looking intently at her.

"I-I…" She stuttered. "I guess I wanted to be touched last night…I wanted your touch. I needed all of you."

Hannibal leaned over and kissed her fiercely on the lips. "You don't know how happy that makes me to hear those words come out of your mouth."

"Hannibal-"

He silenced her with another consuming kiss to the lips, bruising them as he gripped her face in his hands. Elizabeth felt his hands move down her body, giving a light squeeze to her breasts before unzipping her pants and slipping his hand inside of them.

"I realized something about you," he whispered huskily against her lips. "You're so wet."

She moaned softly as he rubbed her clit teasingly. "What is it?"

"I realized that you will only confess things to me when you're like this…panting…moaning…completely soaked," Hannibal muttered against her neck.

Elizabeth suddenly took his hand out and pushed him back into his seat, now leaning over him as her hand trailed down his body and towards his zipper.

"And I've realized that you lose control when you're inside of me, Hannibal," she whispered seductively into his ear before pulling out his cock and wrapping her lips around the head.

Hannibal leaned his head back into the headrest and his hand gripped her hair. She bobbed her head up and down, hallowing her cheeks as her hands squeezed his balls causing him to squirm. He brought her back up to his lips and kissed her passionately.

"Lie on your stomach on your seat and pull your pants down," he commanded softly.

Elizabeth did as she was told and put the seat back to give her more room to lie on. Hannibal stepped over the consoles and to her side then pulled his pants down as well. He rolled on condom on his hard cock. He put his hands on either side of her head as he thrust into her, groaning in pleasure. He drew his hips back before slamming himself into her again.

"Ah," she moaned softly against the leather of the seat.

Hannibal lay on top of her though careful to not crush her with his weight as he pounded into her causing her to moan loudly. He knew that they were lucky that people very rarely drove on this road or they would have been caught and put in jail. Hannibal kissed her temple, feeling sweat on his body as he keeps on thrusting into her.

"Harder," she moaned breathlessly. "You feel so good."

Hannibal complied and started to slam his hips into her harder and faster. She was pretty sure that now the car was shaking because of them and that only make it even hotter than before. Elizabeth turned her head to kiss him quickly on the lips before whimpering his name as she climaxed, moving her hips to stretch it out longer. Hannibal's hands gripped the seat's shoulders as he viciously shoved into her, chasing his own release.

"Your cunt's amazing," he growled lowly. "And it is mine."

Then with a roar, he came inside of her, still slamming inside of her.

Hannibal sighed heavily and his back hit against the dashboard of his car. Elizabeth turned her body around and saw his chest heaving.

"And now I've experienced sex inside of a car," Hannibal teased causing her to laugh and then sit up as they adjusted their clothes.

Hannibal moved back to his seat and she giggled as she thought about how much they've been having sex. "We always seem to have sex at the strangest times."

"Sex is intimacy between two people…full of emotions and a release from them. Perhaps it s a good sign that we can't keep our hands to ourselves."

She smiled at him. "You're so poetic sometimes I swear."

Hannibal smirked and thought, _oh you have no idea._

* * *

Elizabeth rubbed her temples after getting off the phone with Meredith's mother. _Man was that woman a piece of work, but her father was worse._

"Are you okay," Will asked as he came into her office, sitting down.

"Aren't you supposed to be hooked up to IV's and chained to your hospital room with Hannibal as your nurse," she teased.

Will winced, "I'm already imagining him in a nurse outfit. It is not the most flattering thing on him."

Elizabeth laughed and she warned him playfully, "Oh please don't tell him about this."

"Yes because nothing is more awkward than your therapist dating your younger sister and then thinking about them in a nurse outfit," Will joked.

"Oh jeez, sometimes I forget that he's your therapist."

"According to Hannibal, we're friends talking to each other," Will corrected.

"Ah," she drawled out with a smirk. "Clever thing he is sometimes."

Will returned her smirk. "Do you think that she wanted to kill herself?"

"Who? That girl who couldn't see anyone's face?"

He nodded. "Yes, her. They said that she deliberately took off her bracelet that prevents electricity. I don't think she did though. She wanted to live."

"I can see where Jack and the kids are coming from, Will…"

"But."

"But after reviewing her case and your statement, I don't believe that she wanted to end her life. I think maybe what happened to her was accidently, you know? Maybe she took off her bracelet not knowing what was going to happen."

"Or maybe she was murdered by the Copycat Killer," Will suggested firmly.

Elizabeth sighed. "You and I both know that Nicholas Boyle is the Copycat Killer and is dead."

"Yes, but what if he was being framed for it like I am right now," he rushed out.

She stared at him and stood up. "You didn't kill Dr. Sutcliffe and Georgia Madchen. I know you didn't."

"I know I didn't kill either of them," he snapped in frustration. "The Copycat is framing me for them. I was the last one to see either of them. Georgia didn't kill Dr. Sutcliffe either. It was a Copycat because the incisions went deeper than her own. She wasn't supposed to be there so whoever the Copycat is must have done it to frame me instead, but saw an opportunity."

Elizabeth silently stared at her brother as her brows furrowed. He sounded mad almost with his theories.

"Have you talked to anyone about these theories, Will?"

"I've already talked to Hannibal. I plan to take Abigail back to her home to retrace the steps of the murders."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." She tried to tell, but he quickly dismissed her.

"You know what? You and Hannibal are perfect for each other. You're both trying to contain me. You both think that I am some type of timebomb waiting to explode. Well, I'm perfectly fine and I can handle myself."

With that, Will stormed out of the office just as her phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

" _Elizabeth,"_ Hannibal greeted. _"Will came by my office this morning."_

"I know. He just came by and told me about his theories. I'm officially worried about him now," Elizabeth replied.

" _You know what we have to do if Jack ever finds out…"_

"I want to protect him, but how can I when he's losing his mind slowly. I mean he snapped at him every time during our conversation if I didn't agree with him. He says that we should stop trying to contain him and that we should stop thinking that he's going to explode."

" _But he is. He's getting lost in his madness."_

"Is there something you're not telling me, Hannibal?" she asked honestly. "About Will I mean?"

" _Will keeps on seeing Garret Jacob Hobbs. Dead, not alive."_

She gasped. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about that?"

" _There is nothing that you could've done to help him."_

"Bullshit," she snarled lowly. "He's my brother, the only family that I care about besides Meredith who's still missing without a hint of where she is. The Ripper took her according to Gideon."

" _Gideon? What did he tell you?"_

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "He told me that The Ripper wanted Meredith to repeat history except I don't know which murder he's going to repeat because none of them point to Meredith and if she can relate to any of them. I think he took her because she knew who he was. She got too close and I didn't pull her back just like with Will. That is why you should've told me because then I could've saved him somehow. Now he's gone off with Abigail to back where it all started."

 _Damn it,_ she thought. _I lost my temper on him again. This is too much for me._

"I have to go, Hannibal."

" _Are you coming over tonight?"_

After a long moment of silence between them, she answered, "No. Good-bye, Hannibal."

Elizabeth hung up and closed her eyes, feeling her headaches coming back.

* * *

In the morning, her phone started to ring. Elizabeth's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the unknown caller before answering it groggily, "Hello?"

 _"Is this Elizabeth Graham that I'm speaking to?"_ A woman's smooth voice asked over the phone.

Elizabeth sat up in bed and answered, "Yes, this is she? Who may I ask is calling?"

 _"I'm Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. I need to speak to you about Hannibal Lecter."_

Elizabeth blinked. "You're his therapist. I thought he was kidding when he said he had one. Why do you want to talk to me?"

 _"I'll text you my address. Come by my home at nine-thirty, yes?"_

"Sure, okay. Yeah."

Bedelia gave her the address after she hung up; leaving Elizabeth stunned and slightly worried at what his therapist could want from her. Elizabeth quickly dressed herself and drove over to the house, barely glancing at Hannibal's house. She knew that Will had flown off with Abigail causing Jack, Alana, and now Hannibal to freak out over it.

Elizabeth got out of her car when she pulled up on the street, then knocked on the door after climbing those steps of terror. Not a minute later did the door open to reveal a beautiful blonde older woman politely smiling at her.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth Graham, doctor."

"Please call me Bedelia. You and I have much to discuss." She replied, stepping aside. "Does Hannibal know you're here?"

Elizabeth walked inside, shaking her head. "No. I haven't talked to him for almost two days now."

"Good."

"Should he know that I'm here?"

"No, he shouldn't. You will not tell him about this," Bedelia warned tensely. "Hannibal already told me that you are ignoring him and have been for almost two days or it will be until this evening. Why is that?"

Elizabeth sighed and sat down to the seat that Bedelia gestured for her to sit on. "We too involved with each other. I spend every moment with Hannibal."

"You feel he's suffocating you?"

"No…consuming me. I already broke the rules with him twice now. He knows too much about me that I wanted to keep buried deep down."

"Your secrets," she added. "You value honesty when you yourself can't bare yourself to Hannibal. You always seem to push people away according to Hannibal."

"I don't do it because I want to. I do it because I have been hurt before by someone I trust with everything. I trust Hannibal and yet I don't. Why did you call me, Bedelia?"

"I think that it's good you stepped away from Hannibal. I told him to do the same, but he doesn't listen to me."

Elizabeth smiled. "I know the feeling. Why did you tell him that?"

"He loses control with you. Every single time."

"You sound afraid." Elizabeth analyzed.

"I'm afraid for you," Bedelia confessed.

"Why," she whispered in question.

"Because you don't know Hannibal like I do. I know what you're capable of and now so does he. Be cautious and careful with your words and actions. Take a step back and analyze your relationship with Hannibal."

"I'm thinking of breaking up with him," Elizabeth admitted softly. "Am I wrong?"

"You remind me of my younger self," Bedelia told her and handed her a photo. "We almost look alike."

Elizabeth stared down at the picture of Bedelia and she was right…they looked so much alike that they could be mother and daughter. Elizabeth turned her head to the older woman sitting next to her.

"Am I wrong?"

Bedelia leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "No…you're not. Hannibal is a complicated person and I think that it's in your best interest to focus more on Will. He's losing his grip on reality quickly and he needs your help, not Hannibal's."

Elizabeth nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Bedelia. I swear to you that Hannibal won't know about our conversation."

Elizabeth started to walk over to the door, her hand reaching out to twist it open.

"He has a terrific sense of smell, you know," Bedelia called out to her when she reached the door.

Elizabeth didn't turn around, but she paused and then her hand flew up to her neck, gripping her necklace tightly. She walked out of the door just as her cell was ringing.

"Hello, this is Agent Elizabeth Graham."

"It's Officer McCane, Elizabeth. You remember how you asked me to keep an eye on Will for you?"

"Yes. What happened?"

"According to Dr. Lecter, Will puked up an ear after taking some pills. They suspect that it's Abigail Hobbs's ear because she's missing and Will was the last to see her."

"I'll be right there. His house?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, McCane."

She hung up and ran to her car, stepping inside of it and driving frantically over to Will's house, almost losing her mind. She screeched to a stop on the dirt bringing the attention of everyone. Will was already in handcuffs and being led to an SUV.

Elizabeth got out of her car, slamming the door. "I'll take the dogs."

She took the leashes away from an officer and ran to Will. One of the officers put a hand in front of her and she warned coldly, "Touch me and I break your fucking arm. I have a right to talk to my brother."

"Lizzie, I-I don't know what's happening to me," Will whispered when she hugged him.

"You didn't kill her," she whispered harshly. "I know you didn't. I know that facts."

"I lost time again when she ran from me in fear."

Elizabeth pulled her head back and said, "We will get you out of this horse shit. Jack's desperate. I will get you out, I promise. You're not the Copy Cat Killer."

"How do you know?" Will asked suspiciously. "For all you know I could be The Ripper."

"The Ripper copied Tobias's poem. He sent it to me as a message. I think The Ripper is The Copycat Killer as well, Will which is how I know."

"What he did to you could've been a coincidence. That is what they will tell you if you tell it to them now. They'll lock you just as they're going to do for me."

"No, I will not-"

"I'll put you on my visitation list, Lizzie. I love you," Will said softly as they put him in the backseat of the car. "Take care of my dogs."

Elizabeth watched as the SUV drove away with her brother, her hands gripping tightly onto the leashes. She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched away immediately. She saw that it was Jack and gave him a deadly glare to which actually surprised him.

"This is your fault," she said calmly.

Elizabeth looked to Hannibal who was watched her closely as he walked up to them. "Don't," she snapped angrily, letting a tear fall down her cheek. "It's your fault too, Hannibal."

Elizabeth turned and walked back to her car with her brother's dogs hot on her heels like they were her bodyguards. Winston even growled at one point and she saw that Winston was growling at Hannibal who had begun to follow her to her car, but Jack stopped him when he saw how vicious the dogs had suddenly become.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Completely jumping with joy right now, you guys at this! So close to Season 2! If you looked on this story's profile image, she looks a lot like of a young Bedelia which surprised me since I completely had no clue until I was watching Hannibal and writing this chapter. So I went with it.**

 **Elizabeth is going to be like the big overprotective sister that Will deserves in Season 2 after the shit that's been done to him. I mean she's going to be bringing down the iron fist when it comes to Jack and Alana and everybody else. She's going to be taking Bedelia's advice and focusing more on Will much against Hannibal's protest.**

 **Hannibal doesn't want Will and Elizabeth to be confining in each other because they are probably the only ones that can see right through Hannibal's act with just a little push. Elizabeth will ultimately be torn in believing who's actually telling the truth since Will and Hannibal mean so much to her and she has this different kind of bond with them separately.**

 **So she's confused about Bedelia's intentions. In fact, Bedelia is the only person that Elizabeth can't seem to figure out, but she knows that this woman is secretive when it comes to Hannibal so she's gonna wonder why Bedelia warned her and advised her out of the blue to step away from Hannibal. It's not a jealousy thing that's for sure, but a prospect of mutual friendship. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	17. Chapter 17

She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't.

Will was not a murder-a cold blooded one at the most.

Elizabeth didn't know what to do as she sat still on her bed, her hand playing with her necklace. She was clad in her robe and silk soft pink nightgown that reached her knee and had skinny straps on it. Her eyes moved all over the boards of the Copycat Killer's moves. She sighed in frustration since everything seemed to point to Will and made sense. Alana had given her a piece of paper of the clock that Will drew for her and she could see how scrambled his mind was.

She saw the picture he drew for Hannibal two weeks ago and saw that it was completely normal. Jack must be thinking that Will pretend to have something wrong with him since nothing showed up on his brain scans.

She hissed in pain again as she felt her head ache once more. She reached for the bottle of pills Hannibal had given her to get rid of her headaches, but found that it was missing. Elizabeth stood up, gripping her head as she swayed from side to side a little. She felt very dizzy and then made her way to the kitchen, seeing the bottle on the counter. She quickly opened it and popped two of them into her mouth then another one just in case. Elizabeth washed it down with some water.

Elizabeth walked over to the door, hearing someone knock on it. She paused as she reached for it then stepped away, knowing that it was Hannibal.

"Elizabeth, its Hannibal. Please open the door." Hannibal said from outside of her door.

She knitted her eyebrows in confusion and Bedelia's voice came into her mind, _He has a terrific sense of smell, you know?_

 _Oh, I'm just being ridiculous now. He can't smell me, I'm inside and there is no possible way-_

Her eyes cut to the window next to her door; it was opened, the curtain slightly being lifted up by the wind.

"Elizabeth," She heard him plead. _He's pleading for me to let him inside?_

Elizabeth gulped nervously, not knowing why she was suddenly scared because this was Hannibal that she was talking to. He is harmless and has caused her no harm. She unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hello, Dr. Lecter," she said formally.

"May I come inside?"

She nodded and stepped aside, letting him walk through the door then closed it behind him.

"I've been calling you. Why are you ignoring me?" Hannibal asked, his voice tight.

"Because I-I need to focus on Will right now. He's in trouble and he needs my help."

"He killed Abigail Hobbs. The DNA was confirmed by Beverly." Hannibal informed her.

"He didn't kill her," Elizabeth snapped calmly. "I know my brother and so do you."

"He is losing his grip on reality you and I both know this," he replied. "I'm very saddened by what happened to Abigail and I want to help Will as much as you do since I am his friend, but we need to face the fact that we may not know him as well as we think we do."

"Are you asking me to give up on him?" She asked coldly.

"I'm advising you to not spend all of your time on this. It will ruin you."

"I don't care about my reputation as much as you seem to do because I love my brother more than that. He's all I need. I love him…is that so wrong?"

Hannibal came closer to her and cupped her cheek, his thumb rubbing over her cheek bone. "No, it is not wrong. I want to save him too, but there is so little that we can do. At some point, we will have to face the facts and let him go. Please. I miss you, Elizabeth."

Hannibal nuzzled his nose into her hair and she unconsciously leaned into his touch. He kissed her jaw and then her neck. She clutched his jacket as he sucked on her pulse, getting lost in his touch.

Elizabeth then pushed herself away from him and went behind the counter to put distance between them.

"I need to focus on Will and getting him the hell out of there. He doesn't belong there," she whispered and felt the heat of his body behind her in a moment. Hannibal bent his head down and kissed her temple.

"Do you love me?" He asked softly.

Elizabeth froze and felt her palms sweat, wondering if she did love him or not. "I-I…"

Hannibal had taken his coat and suit jacket off at some point and she felt the hard muscles of his body pressed against her back. Hannibal untied her robe, gently pulling it from her shoulders as it pooled around her feet. He kissed her bare shoulders and moved her hair out of the way. He kissed her neck as his hands trailed over the curves of her body.

"I want you. I want to be with you," he muttered against her neck. "I need you, Elizabeth. Don't push me away. Don't shut me out."

Elizabeth nodded and whispered, "Okay. I'm sorry, Hannibal. I feel like I'm going crazy without Will."

"We will get through this. I promise you."

Hannibal's fingers lifted the helm of her gown and she heard his unzip as she buckled him. He pulled down her panties, squeezing her butt cheeks before smacking a cheek causing her grasp. He rolled up his sleeves and pulled his hard cock out, kissing her lips when she looked over her shoulder at him.

He bent her more over the counter and then moaned loudly when he entered her, closing his eyes to savor the way she tightened around him. Her wet sex gripping his cock as tightly as possible, never seeming to want to let go of him. Suddenly the idea of another man being inside of her and doing all the things he would do to her caused a possessive to stir up inside of him.

Hannibal knew that he would lose control of himself quickly if a man dared to touch her intimately such as he did.

He felt the possessiveness rise up inside of him again as she looked up into his eyes, his fingers tightened around her hips and then he kissed her hard on the lips, moaning into her mouth.

* * *

Elizabeth hugged her pillow tighter to her face and felt the mattress move underneath her. Hannibal wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to his chest. She peeled her eyes open and groaned softly, "It's six in the morning, Hannibal. Go back to sleep."

"It's never too early," he muses and opens his eyes.

"I'm so tired though," she replied. "You were insatiable last night with my body."

He kissed her shoulder and smiled against her skin. "I don't recall you disagreeing throughout the night."

"I've only had a couple hours of sleep," she reminded him as she turned onto her back. "I'm glad you stayed though."

Hannibal smiled down at her and laced their hands together. "Me too. I have to go though. There is something that I need to do."

"What is it?"

"I'm helping Will," he told her.

Elizabeth knitted her brows in confusion. "How?"

"Trust me," Hannibal answered. "Trust me. I'll try to fix things."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I feel as though it is my fault he is like this way. I want this relationship to work with you."

She nodded and kissed his lips. "So do I."

Hannibal fingered the necklace he gave her around her neck before getting out of bed and dressing himself. Elizabeth watched with amused eyes at his routine. She was mesmerized by how he delicately put on each article of clothing. It was almost similar to the way he prepared and cooked his food.

After he dressed himself, he looked over at her and walked towards her, leaning down to place a soft long kiss on her lips then on the crown of her head.

"Bye," he said softly.

"Good-bye, Hannibal," she purred before lying back down in bed, pulling the covers over her eyes since it was too bright in her room.

She heard Hannibal leave her bedroom then her house. She quickly changed into her regular pajamas and fell back asleep though it seemed as though it didn't last that very long since she was woken up by someone knocking furiously on her front door, yelling her name.

Elizabeth quickly got out of bed and went towards the front door, ripping it opened. "What?!"

"We're sorry for waking you, but do you know where Hannibal is?" Alana asked quickly. "Will has escaped when he was being transferred."

Elizabeth tensed and looked away, now knowing what Hannibal meant by his words about Will.

"You do know where he is, don't you?" Jack realized. "You need to tell us where he is."

Elizabeth stepped aside and they came in quickly as she sighed. "We nearly broke up last night over Will. I wanted to focus more on Will and trying to help him-protect him from all of you. He's innocent Harmless."

"What changed?" Alana questioned and glanced over at the counter, seeing a pink robe on the floor. "I doubt you're the kind of person to have angry make up sex. He slept here last night."

"Yes," she replied. "Hannibal spent the night here. Left at six-thirty and woke up at six."

"What did he tell you about Will that made you suspicious?" Jack inquired curiously.

Elizabeth ran a hand through her curls. " Hannibal was talking about helping Will. He wanted our relationship to work and that he was trying to fix things. I feel as though it is my fault that this happened."

"Did he say where he was going to take Will?"

"Will escaped so as his first place of safety he went was to Hannibal's. Like with Abigail, Will wanted to retrace the murderers of the Copycat. I think he is doing the same thing with-"

Elizabeth's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell to the ground, her body shaking violently. Alana fell to her knees beside her as Jack shouted angrily for an ambulance. Elizabeth's mouth began to foam as her entire book shook. She sounded like she was choking just as the paramedics running in through the front door. Jack moved Alana aside as she stared down at her friend who looked like she was having some kind of seizure or something.

Jack's jaw tightened and he knew that somehow this had to do with Will Graham…a man he thought he knew well.

* * *

Will and Hannibal stood in the kitchen of The Hobbs's Family home.

Will closed his eyes and said breathlessly to Hannibal who was standing behind him, "I know who I am."

Will turned his head slowly to Hannibal as he continued, "I'm not so sure that I know who you are anymore. But I am certain that one of us killed Abigail."

"Whoever that was killed the others." Hannibal replied simply.

Suddenly Will brought a gun up and pointed it at Hannibal's forehead as Hannibal looked "hurt".

With every movement that Hannibal made, Will followed his suit. "Are you a killer, Will? You? Right now. The man that his sister believes in so much that she would ruin a good and loving relationship so that she could help him. This man standing in front of me. Is this who you really are?"

"Leave Elizabeth out of this," Will snapped calmly, but firmly at Hannibal. "I am who I've always been. The scales have just fallen from my eyes. Lizzie may not be able to see you, but she will because I can. I can see you now, Hannibal."

Hannibal throughout that time was constantly analyzing Will and had this emotion of anger rise within him at the mention of Will standing in the way of their relationship, holding it back.

"What do you see?"

"You called here that morning. Abigail knew. And you kept her secrets…until…until what? Until she found out some of yours?"

"You said that it felt good to kill Garret Jacob Hobbs. Would it feel good to kill me now? If you do kill me, just remember that Elizabeth now cares deeply for me and it would break her heat if she ever found out."

Will gripped the gun tighter in his hands as he warned Hannibal, "Oh, I know that it will, but once I tell her everything then she will rip you apart. Oh, Garret Jacob Hobbs was a murderer. My sister happens to sadly attract murderers with issues. Are you a murderer, Dr. Lecter?"

"What reason would I have?"

"You have plenty reasons to why you did it. Elizabeth is the biggest threat to you and so you hatched a plan to get her on your side. There's that saying that love is blindness. People don't want to see what's really in front of them. If she wasn't on your side, there's no doubt about it that you would have been be chopped liver. No pun intended. It all makes sense once you put the puzzle pieces in the right places on the puzzle. Other than that, you have no traceable motive…which is why you were so hard to see.

Will shook a little bit as he continued, "You were…curious what we would do. Especially someone like me. Someone who thinks how I think. Wind them up and watch them go. And apparently, Dr. Lecter, this is how I go."

Jack suddenly came into the kitchen with a cautious look on his face as he tried to calm everyone around him. "Will. Easy. Easy."

Will thought about it for moment then looked down at the gun. Will made a decision quickly as he quickly aimed his gun to shoot Hannibal, but before he could, Jack shot Will first. The blood spit on to the side his face when he turned his head away Will immediately stumbled to the ground as Jack still held his gun pointing at him.

"You see?" Will whispered as he slid down the counter, falling limply to the ground beside him as he stared imassioantely at Hannibal.

There…standing before him was the man who had begun to torment Elizabeth's lig, playing with her heart.

One goal in mind.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	18. Chapter 18

It had been a week since Will was accused of the copycat murders and have been put inside of that hospital for the criminally insane. It had been peaceful strangely. The Ripper has stayed quiet too, not to Jack's liking according to Hannibal and Alana. Secretly, Elizabeth has been thoroughly investigating the Copycat murders to prove her theory that it was The Ripper's doing, not Will's, but she hasn't found shit.

Elizabeth sighed heavily as she helped Hannibal cook dinner for Jack who would be arriving in only a half hour. She had been staying at Hannibal's every other night because staring at the empty room that Meredith used to accompany had been too much for her to handle. Alana would take the dogs sometimes for a walk since Elizabeth seemed sad and angry most of the time since the people she cared about most were either in prison or missing or perhaps dead.

Tattle Crime had already posted up an article calling Elizabeth and Will "The Bringers of Death" also known as The Ravens. Freddie Lounds blamed everything on them. She attacked Will more than she did to Elizabeth which made Elizabeth want to wrap her hands around her neck and choke the life out of her and watch as the life left her eyes.

Elizabeth stopped cutting the flounder and froze, thinking over what she had just previously thought.

Hannibal noticed that she stopped suddenly and asked, "Are you alright, Elizabeth?"

"I-I just thought of killing Freddie Lounds," Elizabeth replied casually like it was such a normal thing to her to be talking about ending someone's life.

Hannibal walked over to her and stroked her soft blonde curls. "And how do you feel?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Ever since Will was arrested and I had some type of weird reaction to the pills you gave me, I've been seeing things through a different perspective."

"What perspective are you seeing through?"

"There is this person that I become...one that doesn't care anymore and it's very frightening for me to see, Hannibal. I feel like I don't know who I am anymore because when I thought about killing Lounds, I already know how I was going to do it and get away with it. I'm slowly becoming organized and putting my feelings away in a trunk that I can't open," Elizabeth confessed. Then she looked at Hannibal. "How are you not scared of me already?"

He kissed her temple, responding, "I ask myself that same question. Except I wonder why I have not frightened you yet...why you stayed."

Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Because I need you. You seem to hold onto me when you feel me slipping away."

"I'll never let you go, you know?"

"That's not surprising, but there will come a time, Hannibal when you will let me go," she told him, pursing her lips. "My head is getting worse."

"Did they find anything wrong with you yet? Something medical or…"

"No. They couldn't find anything."

Hannibal nodded. After a silent moment between them, he asked, "Are you sure you don't want to dine with Jack and I?"

Elizabeth turned around in his arms which were now wrapped around her. "I can't. I need to visit Will. Don't tell Jack where I've gone. He'll interrogate me if he knows and I don't want to lose my brother's trust. I'm lucky that Chilton can keep my secret since he's doing it for Meredith."

"I know," Hannibal replied, moving her stray curl behind her ear. "I'm glad Will has someone like you to guard him."

"Family comes first before everything and anyone," she reminded him. "WIll has been itching to tell me something lately, but he won't-can't."

"Maybe it's his madness trying to tell you something and his rational mind pulling him back," he suggested.

"He's not crazy, Hannibal," she scoffed in frustration, moving away from him and putting distance between them. "I don't want to hear you call him any kind of crazy, do you understand?"

"I apologize, Elizabeth. I never meant it to harm you. I was just reminding you where he is right now."

"Someone framed him-"

"There was an ear found in his throat," he snapped at her, losing some of his patience. "Abigail is dead and her body's missing. He's lost more time frequently."

"He was framed," Elizabeth growled lowly at him. "I know my brother. He's not a killer."

In frustration, Elizabeth ripped the apron off of her and threw it on the counter then turned around, striding away from him. Hannibal called her name, but she ignored him as she went to the door, grabbing her coat and purse.

Elizabeth opened the door just as Jack had raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Jack," she greeted stiffly, forcing a smile on her face.

"Elizabeth. You look very beautiful tonight."

Hannibal came behind her, replying charmingly, "Doesn't she always. Hello, Jack and welcome."

"Are you joining us, Elizabeth?" Jacked asked curiously.

"No, thankfully, I am not." She replied calmly, slipping her coat on.

Hannibal held her elbow, stopping her from leaving as he whispered softly, "Stay. Please, Lizzie."

Elizabeth knew that when Hannibal really wanted something, he always called her by "Lizzie", not "Elizabeth. She was only reminded of Will though when he said those pleading words to her.

She looked up into his maroon colored eyes, whispering, "I need Will. I need my brother."

She pulled her elbow away and quickly strode out of the house, to her own home for once.

Jack watched her for a moment with a raised eyebrow then turned back to Hannibal who still stared after her even when she had gone inside of her home.

"She reminds me a lot of Bella. Stubborn, temperamental, fiercely protective of anyone and anything…and those are all of the things that I love about her," Jack told Hannibal. "I can tell when someone's in love. Too bad Will is getting in the way of the both of your happiness."

Hannibal turned to look at Jack, neither confirming nor denying on the subject of love concerning Elizabeth. "She needs Will more than she needs me. I'm saddened by the fact that she would choose him over me."

"You really think that he's gonna tell her about his mad theories about you, Hannibal?"

"I don't think. I know."

* * *

The next morning, Elizabeth was buzzed into the door and she walked down the long hall, her heels echoing softly. She smiled when she saw Will.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey yourself," he said, returning her smile.

Elizabeth looked down the hall and saw that no one was looking so she quickly went and put her arms through the bars, hugging him as much as she could.

"It's nice to know that someone still cares about me," he said softly then released her.

Elizabeth quickly stepped back, not wanting to get caught and kicked out of there already.

"I'll always care about you. I know you didn't do this. You're innocent."

"You refuse to believe that it's Hannibal," Will told her. "But you know that it wasn't me. Why? How?"

Elizabeth shook her head and shrugged. "I have this gut feeling about people, Will, remember? I know you could never do those kinds of things to other people."

"You remember your gut feeling about Hannibal?" Will asked as he paced slowly back and forth in the cell. "You told me that you didn't trust Hannibal and you didn't know why."

"Then you told me that I was just scared of possibly being in another failed relationship. That I was afraid of rejection and disappointed hopes, Will. You told me to trust Hannibal."

"And do you? Do you trust Hannibal?"

She sighed and sat down in the seat in front of his cell. "I-I do."

"You hesitated," Will reminded her. "Which means that you trust him 80% of the time, but 20% of that time you don't. That's a big difference, Lizzie."

"I have trust issues, but it doesn't mean that it's because I think he's a psychopath like Roger or Ted Bundy."

Will stopped pacing and looked at her. "You love him."

Elizabeth's jaw hardened. "Will, I don't love him. I care about him. Caring and loving someone are two completely different things."

"Not completely different. They're in the same category actually of feelings-true feelings."

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "I feel like you're both telling me to pick a side-to choose. I feel like I am fucking the rope in your tug of war, Will."

Will chuckled. "What did he say to you?"

"He tried to convince me that your theories about him are of a mad person's and not of a rational person's."

"Something tells me you pissed him off."

"I may or may not have let my temper get the best of me. I don't like that everyone is calling you crazy. Sue me for being the overly protective sister that I am."

"It's nice to know that I have a white knight defending my honor when I can't," Will mused.

"I heard you asked to see him."

"Yes, I did."

"Why is that? You're just adding fuel to the fire."

Will stared at her. "I worry about you and him. I don't like that he's so close to you."

"I can take care of myself." She reminded him.

"I know. Have any headaches lately?"

Elizabeth stopped smiling and asked, "How did you know that?"

"He's giving you two little white pills, am I right? Probably was even nice enough to give you the bottle."

"W-Will," she warned hesitantly. "Hannibal isn't a freaking psychopath. My God, my luck with men can't be that bad. Geez!"

"Stop taking them, don't eat the food, and don't take anything like drinks from him, Lizzie."

"Will-"

"Do you understand?!" Will snapped coldly at her and strode up to the cell's bars, gripping them tightly. "I need you to try it out. See if I'm wrong."

"What if you are wrong, Will?" She challenged impassively. "What if you are accusing an innocent man? What then, huh?"

Will stepped away from the bars and turned his back to her, replying lowly, "Then I guess I really am crazy after all."

* * *

"Will Graham has asked to see me. I would like to see him. I continue to be curious about the way he thinks, despite all that's happened. I know he's trying to push Elizabeth away from me," Hannibal explained.

"He's still influencing you and he knows that you care deeply about Elizabeth. Will Graham asking to see you betrays his clear intent to manipulate you," Bedelia said.

"And if I agree to see Will?" Hannibal asked.

"It betrays your clear intent to manipulate him."

"I miss them. It seems I've lost the both of them."

"You are obsessed with Elizabeth and Will Graham especially with Elizabeth. And he will take advantage of that."

"Will is my friend."

"And what is Elizabeth to you besides your girlfriend?"

"She's…is it possible for me to love?"

Bedelia froze and answered slowly, "Yes, it is, but nearly impossible, Hannibal considering that the only person you've ever truly loved was your sister and she died."

"And?"

"And since she died, you don't want to feel those emotions again like Elizabeth. I imagine after getting her heat broken so many times, losing Will and her best friend, Meredith, she would become like you."

"I think she believes Will."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because she hasn't spoken to me since last night. It's already been a day."

"No, she doesn't believe the claims against you made by Will," Bedelia told him.

Hannibal knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"She's been consulting with me about her problems…as friends, Hannibal. She loves you, but loving you comes with consequences like losing Will Graham in the process."

"She loves me?" Hannibal said to himself, a smile on his lips. "Elizabeth loves me and I love her madly."

Bedelia raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want her as much as you do?"

"She's able to see right through me. She tells me when I'm wrong and gives me a new perspective to see the world through," Hannibal answered. "I didn't think that I could be surprised anymore until I met her. She surprised me."

* * *

"You're not my friend." Will told Hannibal. "The, uh, light from friendship won't reach us for a million years. That's how far away from friendship we are."

"I imagine it's easier to believe I am responsible for those murders than it is to accept that you are."

"Sure is," Will responded sarcastically.

His lips curled in amusement. "Your inner voice can provide a method of taking control of your behavior, accepting responsibility for what you've done. Giving your thoughts words encourages clarity."

"Oh, I have clarity. About you." Will replied, coming closer him. "It won't take long before everyone else sees it as well."

"Our conversations, Will, were only ever about you opening your eyes to the truth of who you are."

"What you did to me is in my head, and I will find it. I'm going to remember, Dr. Lecter, and when I do, there will be a reckoning. Elizabeth will find out about you and she will want vengeance for what you did to me and all those other people."

"Will-"

"She's been ignoring you, hasn't she?" Will mused. "She's slowly, but quickly slipping away from your grasp, Dr. Lecter. Elizabeth may have strong feelings for you, but then again she felt the same about Roger Kane and she…"

Will chuckled and continued, "Well, we both know that she destroyed him. Elizabeth isn't stupid and she will curious then she'll start to doubt and put the puzzle pieces together. Also the fact that she believes me over you, Hannibal. When the time comes, she will choose me over you because we are family-we are blood."

"She's your half sister," Hannibal reminded Will.

"We grew up thinking that we weren't half brother and sister, Hannibal. We are family and we don't leave each other behind or forgotten. Always and forever. She will find out and I will protect her no matter what, Hannibal Lecter."

"I have huge faith in you, Will." Hannibal said after a moment of silence. "I always have."

With that, Hannibal turned around and left the building, dialing Elizabeth's phone number.

"Hey, this is Elizabeth Graham and I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now so please-Will get out of the shower already. I don't care if you've not been in there for five minutes. I need to go in there and no one wants to see your junk-oh crap I'm still recording! Bye!"

Hannibal couldn't help, but smile at the cheery voicemail that sounded like it was made by a younger version of herself. He hung up when he saw her sitting on the bench near the entrance. Elizabeth immediately stood up when she saw him, a worried expression on her face.

"Elizabeth," he greeted and kissed her lips. "What's wrong?"

She opened her mouth a couple of times and then closed it. "Nothing. I just missed you."

"I thought that you were upset with me."

She sighed and fixed his tie, running her hands across his shoulders. "I was…but then I realized something."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "What was it?"

"That I…I…I-I"

Hannibal silenced her with a kiss to her lips and cupped her face in his hands, muttering against her lips, "I love you too."

Elizabeth released a sigh of relief and breathed out, "Oh thank God. That would have been awkward if you would have said something else."

Hannibal chuckled and asked seriously, "Do you believe Will's claims? Please be honest with me, I won't be upset about whatever your answer may be. I just don't want there to be secrets between us."

"I don't believe my brother's claims against you, Hannibal." Elizabeth answered. "It's not because I'm in denial or anything like that, but because I trust you and that I love you. Jesus Christ, I can't believe I just said that like it was so casual and-"

Hannibal crashed his lips against her own and teased, "I love you, Elizabeth Graham. You and your voicemail too. I'm obsessed and possessed by you."

"See, on any other guy that would sound crazy," she drawled out. "But with you, it sounds kind of hot."

Hannibal laughed and kissed her temple. "You make me laugh too and smile which is something that hasn't happened in a long time."

Elizabeth smiled brightly. "Really?"

"It's the truth." Hannibal told her. "I want you to be my side every day."

"One thing at a time, Hannibal," she laughed quietly then kissed him passionately.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITE! Elizabeth and Hannibal will always be on this roller coaster in their relationship because of how rocky things are since she's trying not to choose sides even though everyone is going to be telling her to. Bedelia and Elizabeth's friendship is explained more next chapter. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	19. Chapter 19

" _You're the new Will Graham."_

Beverly Katz's words rang out in Hannibal's ears as he walked over to the crime scene where Jack, Katz, and Elizabeth were. A little smile slipped onto his face as he ducked under the police tape and walked over to Elizabeth, kissing her on the cheek in greeting.

"Thank you for coming, Dr. Lecter," Jack greeted him.

"Jack, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you would help me with a psychological profile," Jack explained. "This way, doctor."

Hannibal looked over at Elizabeth who was staring off into the distance which held the waterfall and where the rest of the dead bodies and police were. Hannibal touched her elbow and asked, "Are you alright, Elizabeth?"

She sighed and licked her lips nervously. "I'm just wondering how something so beautiful can be tarnished so easily with something as little as death."

"You think of death as little?"

Elizabeth looked over at him. "People are killed everyday and die by the simplest things like SID, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It makes me realize that no one is invincible."

Hannibal gently grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Yes, we are the weaker species."

"Yes, we dominate the earth and every single little thing inside of it. Strange breed we are sometimes."

Hannibal chuckled and kissed the side of her head. "Come on. Jack needs us."

She nodded and they walked to where Jack and Katz were as she explained to him, "This is the fourth body we've recovered so far. There's at least one more down there. They all have been reserved in some sort of coating that we can't identify until it gets back to the lab for further testing."

"How long have they been this way?" Hannibal asked.

Jack shook his head and looked over the bodies. "Hard to say, but someone went through a lot of trouble to make sure that they were well preserved."

"The big one was partially sealed, rotting from the inside out," Kat elucidated. "The other three look like they were embalmed."

Elizabeth bent a little and examined the bodies more closely. "It looks like he knows want he wants actually…has this picture in his head."

"A fantasy," Jack added on as he nodded. "Whatever he's doing, he's still figuring out how to do it."

"Were they injected with silicone?" Hannibal asked.

Elizabeth knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Silicone? What's that? Some kind of coating or glue to keep the body in its exact shape?"

They all looked at her in surprise and Hannibal answered, "Like I said before, Elizabeth, you surprise me everyday. But you are right. It's actually a technique for making resin-coated models out of fish. Like Elizabeth said earlier, this helps the body retain shape in death."

Elizabeth bit her lip and stuttered, "I-Is he…um, is he making-"

"Human models," Hannibal finished her sentence. "Yes, he is."

Jack sighed. "You make models of things that you want to keep; these were tossed in the river."

"Maybe they were imperfect," Hannibal suggested.

"You know, this all seems very similar to me." Elizabeth said suddenly.

"How?" Jack immediately pushed.

"Well," she started with a light laugh. "There was a time when I was into artists and this just reminds me of that because when artists have this vision in their head, they go out of their way to make it happen. I'm just thinking that maybe he was an artist and had visions that people didn't understand or that he couldn't quite put on a canvas with a little paint."

Katz stared at her. "Your brain…it frightens me sometimes, you know that?"

Elizabeth chuckled softly. "That's how my artistic ex-boyfriends felt. Apparently it's an insult to make a suggestion on their work. And with my luck, I get the weird artistic ones who trap themselves in an hotel room with all the lights off just to get inspiration."

"You see, Lizzie, I learn from your dating mistakes," Katz teased.

"You and Alana think the same," She replied with a wink. "So what do artists do with their work that doesn't fit into their vision?"

"These are his discards," Jack realized.

Elizabeth winced and held her stomach. Hannibal touched her shoulder as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I think I need to sit down. I'm gonna throw up or something."

Katz yelled out, "Someone get Agent Graham a bucket or a bag maybe. Anything!"

Elizabeth was handed a container and she puked her guts out in it. Hannibal was already by her side, rubbing her back. Then Katz joked, "Maybe you're pregnant."

Elizabeth quickly straightened her back up and she told Katz, "I. AM. NOT. PREGNANT."

Katz held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, sorry. It's just that, you look…well, you look like you're gonna vomit again and you are sweating."

"I think I have food poisoning."

Hannibal looked hurt for a moment before she assured him, "Not from yours. Before I went to you last night, I had some food from a truck, okay?"

"I told you those food trucks aren't good for your health, Lizzie. They never are and never will be. That's why we changed your appetite."

Elizabeth groaned in frustration as Jack and Katz looked very amused at the couple. "Look, we all can't be utterly perfect, Hannibal. It was a moment of weakness. I like to eat junk food. I like my food trucks and my take-out Chinese food."

"And now look where's that gotten you," Hannibal scolded. "Sick with food poisoning."

"Jesus Christ, it's not like I cheated on you," she told him.

Elizabeth handed the bucket to another agent and said, "Here. Make yourself useful or I'll throw up on you."

He nodded quickly and scowled as he walked away with the bucket.

Elizabeth stared at them then shrugged. "Sickness…I don't do well with sickness cause it's weakness. I don't do weakness. I'm a bitch when I'm sick."

Elizabeth gave them a short smile and walked away, back to Hannibal's car. She neared the bushes quickly as she felt another vomit coming up her throat. She went behind them and puked again. Elizabeth hated the "I told you so" face on Hannibal when he told her about how her unhealthy diet was biting her in the ass right now. She stomped her foot and muttered, "Goddamn it! Why can't I not be sick right now?"

"Are you going to listen to me now?" Hannibal asked as he stood on the other side of the bush.

She stood up and said, "I am fine. It was just food poisoning that's it. No."

"No what?"

"No, I am not going to listen to you. I like my food."

"Your _junk_ food," he corrected.

"I like my junk food," Elizabeth told him firmly and walked out from behind the bush. "I like your food too. Especially that sausage hanging between your legs."

Elizabeth widened her eyes at her own words. "I can't believe that came out of my mouth right now."

Hannibal kissed her fiercely on the lips, holding her upper arms. "Your sexual appetite is truly aspiring…and growing quickly."

"Well, when I have a boyfriend who's incredibly handsome, can you blame a girl?"

Hannibal chuckled and then started to kiss her neck, nipping at her skin causing her to jump in surprise. "We should go right now."

Elizabeth giggled and she could see that look in his eyes. She shook her head. "And you say my appetite is growing."

He pecked her on the lips and held her hand in his as they walked to the car together.

* * *

"You don't look so good," Will commented as Elizabeth walked through the door and sat down in front of him at the table.

"Gee, thanks," she responded sarcastically. "Just what a girl wants to hear."

Will chuckled. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, huh?"

"Nope. I slept like a baby."

"Next to Hannibal?" Will mused. "A sheep sleeping with a lion."

"I thought we already had this discussion about Hannibal and that we weren't going to talk about him."

"I thought so too until I found out from Katz and Alana that you were still with him. Dating him. Kissing him," Will snapped angrily.

"I love him!" She yelled in frustration because of him. "I can't stop loving him! I love him, okay? We can't choose who we love. I'm sorry you don't like him, but I am with him. We have a life and you are my brother. I don't want to talk about Hannibal anymore. I want to talk to my brother that I really care about."

Will sighed. "Fine. I will stop talking about Hannibal. For you. So I heard you were sick."

"I got food poisoning and Hannibal's been scolding me because I like my junk food."

Will chuckled in amusement. "I forgot that you can be a bitch when you're sick."

Elizabeth laughed. "I think Hannibal just realized what I am like with sickness and people judging my food habits."

"I remember you came to school with a 102 degree temperature because you had a big test," Will said with a snort. "I used to hate it when I would get sick and Dad would tell me that story when I wouldn't want to go to school."

Elizabeth shook her head. "How funny."

"It was not very comical at the time." Will told Elizabeth.

She sighed. "I need your help, Will…with a case."

"The artist, am I right?"

Elizabeth knitted her brows in confusion. "Who-"

"Beverly came by before you and asked for my opinion on the case," Will explained. "Why do you call him an artist, Lizzie?"

"Because he has a vision and is going out of his way to achieve that vision. Only artists have discard piles and imperfections, Will."

Will nodded. "You're right. He's choosing them by their skin tones. The DMV pictures clearly show that. He's making a color palette."

Elizabeth raised an elegant eyebrow at that. "So I was right. I like being right."

"You like being right all the time. Admit it," Will teased.

She gave him a rich laugh then as it died out she confessed, "I miss you, Will. Very much."

"I miss you too, sis."

"I know when you're mocking me, Graham and when you're being an ass."

"Right," he drawled out. "Whatever you say. But you're the exact same way. Most may not notice it, but I am your brother and I know you."

"You're my favorite mistake," she said gleefully with a wide smile. "Dad's too."

"If I was a mistake then you must be an accident," he reminded her.

Elizabeth held his hand and squeezed it. "I'm going to get you out of here. I love you; Will and I will wrap my hands around their throat and probably bang their head against the wall, asking why they did this. Why were you their choice? Why did they choose you and not somebody else? Why did they choose one of the good guys, huh? Why, Will?! Why do all the bad things happen to us?"

Will sighed heavily. "There is something that I need to tell you."

"What is it?" She whispered, seeing that look on his face.

"I didn't remember this until now…"

"Will, what is it?" She whispered harshly, gripping his hand tightly.

After a long moment of silence, he told her, "Your father called me before they arrested me."

All time seemed to freeze and everything became silent as his words processed through her mind at that very moment. Elizabeth slid her hands away from his and seemed to be distancing herself from him like she always did with everyone else.

"Lizzie?"

"This conversation is over."

Elizabeth stood up and walked out of the room.

Her father contacted her.

Her father.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, FAVORITES! Elizabeth's mother and father aren't good people, neither Will nor Elizabeth don't like to talk about them. We get more information about their mother and her father between chapters. I hope you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	20. Chapter 20

"My sister is a lot like me," Will told them as he sat in his cage.

"I can see that," Hannibal replied and Will could see a ghost of a smile passing over his face as they stared at each other.

"She tells me that she's on my side, but I can see it in her eyes. My own sister is slowly falling away from me," Will explained. "I've lost the plot. I am the unreliable narrator of my own story."

"You have an incomplete self," Alana corrected. "There are pieces of you...you can't see."

"I'm afraid to see. I don't want her to see me this way because I am afraid that I'll do something to her and hurt her thus losing her forever," Will explained. "I don't know who I am anymore. And I'm afraid."

"Without remembering, you're seized by something imagined," Hannibal told him.

"I don't know which is worse. Believing I did it...or, um, believing that you did it and...did this to me."

"Hannibal isn't responsible, Will. And neither are you. We have to get the truth of what happened. It's the only way you can move forward," Alana tried to convince him.

Alana and Hannibal saw Will stare straight ahead of them as he said, "I felt so betrayed by you. Betrayal was the only thing that felt real to me."

 _Lavender._

"What the hell are you two doing here?" a voice lowly demanded from behind them.

 _Elizabeth,_ Hannibal thought.

They both saw that it was Elizabeth who Will was referring to and staring at. Elizabeth looked cold and yet angry at the same time, but hid her anger behind a mask she formed to conceal her true emotions. Her golden blonde curls bounced against the crimson red coat that she wore with black high heels. She strode forward like a lion seeking its next victim and so much like an overprotective sister.

"I asked you two to stay away from brother until the trial," Elizabeth reminded them. "I asked you both last night at dinner. I asked one thing of the both of you for my brother. Will is not seeing anybody right now and I told you that. The fact that you completely and rudely ignored my wishes for my brother says a lot."

"Elizabeth, Will is very sick," Alana said to her. "He needs help."

"Not from either of you. He hates you and Hannibal so do you really think that coming here and talking to him is really the best the solution to his needs," Elizabeth told them, her tone curious, but still pissed off.

"I understand your concerns, but Will wants us to help him," Hannibal replied calmly.

Elizabeth stared at him. "I am more pissed off with you than I am with her because you know how I feel and yet you still came. It makes me disappointed, Hannibal."

Hannibal came closer to her and she backed away, shaking her head. "Why are you disappointed? Is it with me?"

She smiled sadly at him. "I am disappointed with myself, Hannibal."

"I needed you to trust me. I am very..I'm very confused," Will took a shuddering breath.

"Of course you are," Alana said sadly.

"Will, let us help you."

Will sniffled and started to cry which caused Elizabeth's eyebrows in furrow a little. "I...I...I need your help, Lizzie. I need my sister."

"I'm here, Will," Elizabeth immediately replied and then continued to Hannibal and Alana, "Please leave. My brother is upset and he needs to rest."

Alana nodded, turning to leave, but Hannibal grabbed Elizabeth's hand. She gently yanked her hand out of his and told him, "I can't look at you right now, Hannibal. You betrayed me and hurt me. Leave."

"Lizzie-"

She closed her eyes and pleaded, "Please. Go, Hannibal."

Hannibal nodded and left them. Elizabeth stared impassively at Will, telling him, "Let's go for a walk."

The guards came over and unlocked Will from his cage, but still kept on his handcuffs. Once they stepped behind Will and Elizabeth as the two started to walk back together.

"You paid off the guards, didn't you?" Will mused with a small smile. "Why though?"

"I just wanted to tell you have mastered the art of tears."

"Tears aren't only a _women's_ weapon," Will told her, "They can be a man's too."

Elizabeth smirked. "I guess. What game are you playing here, Will?"

"I've seen the light at the end of the tunnel, you could say…besides, Hannibal started it first-why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying."

"Yes, you are. So I want to know why."

"Oh, I see Pushy-Will has entered the building right now and Scheming-Will has left," she mused, her cheeks felt stiff dry from the tears that were on her cheeks.

Will chuckled in amusement. "I try my best. You were...you were a different person with Alana and Hannibal."

"What do you mean?"

"You were harsh...cold...and detached. Something must've happened."

"The only thing that happened was that I felt betrayed by them-my friends. I don't want anyone to see you, Will."

"Why?" Will questioned. "Are you ashamed of your insane and psychotic brother?"

"No," she snapped at him. "Never. You're not psychotic. I don't want anyone to see you like this. No one knows what really happened except that you've been having a loss of time, half of your brain was inflamed as well-"

"Inflamed? When?"

"Before I came here, I went to investigate and well, I found brain scans of a John Doe where half of his brain was inflamed. I looked on the date and it was the same date when you first went to the doctor you supposedly killed," she explained.

Will knitted his brows in confusion. "He said that there was nothing physically wrong with me...suggested that it might be mentally actually. H-He showed it to me. How could you tell that it was mine?"

"Well, for two reasons. One that stood out the most was that he hid it. If it was just a random person and not you, he would've discarded it unless someone told him to keep it safe and secret from you. Another reason is the fact that an inflamed causes all of your symptoms from before and I don't know what pills you took, but I think that those made it worse to the point that you started to actually live your nightmares," Elizabeth enlightened him with a victorious smile, but her eyes were still sad.

"Do you have the brain scans?"

"Yes, I do. I'm going to Jack after this."

"I doubt he will listen to you since he doesn't like that you put yourself as the Lead Investigator on this case. Also the fact that you're my sister."

"My theory is still right though about The Ripper. I can feel it in my bones. It would make a whole lot of sense if he decided to pin this on you since we're family."

"And he probably already knows how close we are. He's amused by us."

She sighed heavily. "I feel like I'm being circled by a shark and we are its trout-his dinner."

Will looked at her. "You agree then that he's eating the organs from his victims?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, I do. It wouldn't surprise me because he thinks of them as pigs and what do we do to pigs? We breed them and then eat them."

"As a concerned brother, I want to know why you cried," Will told her.

Elizabeth sighed deeply again. "Because I want to be with Hannibal and I can't because of you. He's too close. The fact that he disregarded my wishes says a thousand words that I don't want to say aloud. You're my brother and I love you more than I love him, Will. At the end of the day, people come and go out of our lives, but family sticks by you till the end. I was selfish and naive to think that I could be neutral in all of this, but now I know that I have to choose a side and I choose my brother's because we need each other and because I love you."

Will suddenly hugged her tightly and she returned it just as tightly. "I had this feeling that I lost you and that's why I felt betrayed by you because while I am in here, he's out there in the wild with you."

"I have many guns around the house, Will. I can take care of myself. Besides I'm also planning on taking Krav Maga," Elizabeth assured him as they pulled away from each other.

"Well," he chuckled shortly. "That's an intense class to take."

"I can deal with intensity, Will. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," Elizabeth told him.

They stopped at his cell and she gave him one last hug before the guards came over to put him back in his cell as she watched from the other side of the bars.

Will looked at her through the cell bars and gave her a nod. Elizabeth smiled warmly at him before turning around and walking back down the hallway and out of the hospital. She turned a corner and jumped in fright when she saw that it was Hannibal and he was waiting for her.

"Jesus," she breathed. "Don't do that. What is it?"

"You're upset."

"Pissed off is more like it actually," Elizabeth scoffed. "We need to talk."

"I know."

"I'm breaking up with you," Elizabeth blurted out.

It was silent between them for awhile and even the wind was loud enough for her to hear it clearly. It rustled her hair to the side as they stared long at each other.

"We're not good together, Hannibal," she started to explain. "Ever since Will was arrested, you both forced me to pick a side. At first, I thought that being neutral was enough, but after today, Hannibal, I know it isn't. So I'm picking a side and it's my brother's because he's my family and I won't let him go through this alone. You being with me is a distraction. It doesn't mean that I don't love you because I do, but my brother needs me."

Hannibal calmly walked closer to her and cupped her face. "I will always love you, Elizabeth Graham. Always. I've never met a person like you before. You have this light in you that I would hate to be the one who snuffed it out."

She stepped away from his hold. "Goodbye, Hannibal."

Elizabeth turned around, walking towards her call when he called out to her, "I love you. I do. I love you. I've always been in love with you. I will always be in love with you. We're gonna be happy, Lizzie. You and me. We are meant to be. I love you."

Elizabeth stopped, feeling her heart break and then she whispered, "I know. I know you do. Me too."

Elizabeth started to walk to her car and she forced herself to not look back, knowing that she would regret her decision.

* * *

"Please. Sit down." Hannibal greeted as he opened the door.

"I won't be staying long." Bedelia replied immediately.

"I'm curious - what couldn't wait until our next session?"

"We don't have a next session. I am no longer your therapist," Bedelia told him carefully and became cautious.

"May I ask why?" He asked casually.

"I have reached the limit of my efficacy. I don't believe I can help you."

"Are you giving me a referral?"

"No. I am simply ending our patient-psychiatrist relationship."

"You tried to end it before."

"I... am grateful for your persistence in engaging me after my attack. However, in light of everything that has happened with Will Graham and Elizabeth Graham, I have begun to question your actions - particularly, your past actions with regards to me and my attack."

"Did you share these questions with Jack Crawford?"

"No."

"And what about Elizabeth?"

"Her as well. And nor will I. She's a fantastic investigator. I would look just as guilty as you. But perhaps that is what you intended."

"What exactly am I guilty of?" He started to slowly step towards her as she walked backwards.

"Exactly, I cannot say. I've had to draw a conclusion based on what I glimpsed through the stitching of the person suit that you wear. And the conclusion that I've drawn... is that you are... dangerous."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm surprised though that you're not advising me to stay away from Elizabeth," he said with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Bedelia quickly changed the subject as she told him, "Please don't come to my home again. I will see myself out."

Bedelia slowly and yet carefully stepped around him and went to the door.

Hannibal spoke out to her, "I'm resuming Will Graham's therapy."

Bedelia stopped and looked at him, asking in curiosity, "To what end? Besides your own."

"He asked for my help."

"Then maybe you deserve each other." She suggested, making a move to go out of the door.

"Elizabeth ended our relationship," he blurted out suddenly.

Bedelia stopped walking and closed the door, inquiring, "She did what?"

"She ended things…chose Will over me and even though I told her how I felt, she still chose Will over me. I trusted her," Hannibal explained.

"Hannibal," Bedelia warned. "Whatever you are thinking…think before you act. Elizabeth is in a delicate place right now."

"Why? What do you know?" Hannibal quickly interrogated her.

"I can't tell you our conversations because it was told in confidentiality to me," Bedelia reminded him. "Will is the most important person in her life. She cares about and is willing to do anything for him since he's her family."

"I could be her family."

"You could, but you won't. You and I both know that the only way for you to be her family is if you marry her or have a child with her, Hannibal. She won't bring a child into the world she lives in and from what I've been told about her father, I wouldn't want to either," Bedelia replied with a grim look on her face.

"What about her father?"

"He contacted her, Hannibal," She answered. "He's coming to Baltimore."

"Why?"

Bedelia sighed heavily. "I've already told her too much."

"Then why did you?"

She paused at the door. "I don't know what you do, Hannibal, but she's my friend and I can't protect from someone like him."

"So you think that I can?" He mused.

"You have an obsession with her and anything that involves her. Her father is coming and you feel threatened by Will already. You have a toxic relationship with Elizabeth Graham and she knew it. She chose Will, Hannibal. Not you," Bedelia reminded him before leaving him.

Hannibal heard his office phone ring before he answered it, "Hello. This is Dr. Hannibal Lecter's office, Dr. Lecter speaking."

"Dr. Lecter," a male's smooth voice greeted from the phone. "You may not know me, but you will, Dr. Lecter."

"Who is this," he demanded.

He laughed softly. "No, but you will. I know what you are, Hannibal Lecter."

Hannibal heard the tone after he hung up and he sighed deeply, cursing, "Damn it!"

 _Why, Elizabeth? Why did I have to love you out of all the women I have ever come across? I've broken men and women and yet you still can't be broken._

 _Yet._

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Almost to a hundred on the follows and FIFTY FREAKING REVIEWS! AAAAHHHH! Please keep reviewing, you guys are awesome. So officially Hannibal and Elizabeth are broken up. I'm a little sad, but when it comes to family, Elizabeth isn't one to leave someone behind. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	21. Chapter 21

Pale hands reached behind and unclasped the necklace around her ivory throat. The rose necklace was placed over the dresser delicately with a soft sigh.

Golden curls were released from her curling iron and she fluffed her hair a little. She started to apply make-up to her face. First mascara and then applied black eyeliner, but lightly. She slicked on a soft pink rose lipstick on her kissable lips.

Elizabeth sighed while looking at herself in the mirror. She really didn't want to go, but Alana was making her go.

It had been a week since her breakup with Hannibal and she had purposely been keeping herself lately. Actually, she had been working hard on the cases of The Ripper, reading each one over and over again. She felt like she had missed something in these reports that was right in front of her. She even tried the Copycat's, but alas, there was nothing.

Elizabeth retraced Meredith's steps too, but all that got her was a dead end at some ice cream shop where Chilton and Meredith went there on their first date because they had miss their reservations at some fancy French restaurant and because Meredith took too long to get ready.

The memory made her smile a little bit, but not for long since she remembered that Meredith wasn't there anymore.

Elizabeth had decided not to stay at her house and at Will's, fixing the place up for him when he came back. All of his dogs came with her as well, guarding her day and night.

She couldn't stay at her house because it was right next to hers and she just kept on seeing him popping in and out of the house. It was all too painful to remember his words forming inside of her head like a spider hatching its eggs. They kept on multiplying it seemed.

Tomorrow was when she would see all of them again, seeing as how it was the start of Will's trial and she was testing on his behalf, but she had this feeling that her testimony of him would be disregarded since he was her brother who she loved dearly.

Elizabeth slipped on a business-like dress that the top was a dark red with sleeves up to her elbows and a black skirt held by a black belt. The dress was flattering as it wrapped its fabrics around her body like a hug. She had gotten a haircut last afternoon and it was short. Its length just above her shoulders. She needed a new look and she thought that she should look more professional since she was an FBI agent. She actually liked the way to looked on her hair and didn't really care now for her long hair.

 _It's hair…it'll grow back,_ she thought to herself.

Elizabeth sighed to herself once again as she grabbed her things and headed out the door and to her brother's trial…where she was already late.

* * *

Elizabeth paced back and forth before she was called into the room.

"Your Honor, I would like to call up to the stand, Agent Elizabeth Graham," Leonard Brauer said suddenly.

The crowd as quiet as the doors opened for her and she walked down the aisle and to the seat where she placed her hand upon the bible and repeated the oath she took.

Right after she sat down, her eyes caught Hannibal's for a moment before she quickly looked to her brother's lawyer, Mr. Brauer.

"Now, Agent Graham, what can you tell us about Will Graham?" he asked her.

"Will is my older brother-well, half-brother, but still family," she told him. "I always looked up to him where we were children. He was always there for me as the protective brother that he was. He is still the same man that I knew then now. He's not guilty."

"Now, he's your brother so of course you think that, but why isn't he guilty like most would think from the evidence that was collected at the scene," Mr. Brauer asked curiously.

"I've been through the Copycat cases hundreds of times and everything pointed to Will-everything single little thing. One would assume that it has to be Will. They found human remains out in the open so carelessly, he was coincidentally at every crime scene, there are apparently forty pieces of evidence, he had blackouts, and the fact that he's not always there so this makes the story believable. It has to be Will Graham. The Copycat framed Will because he was there and he would look guilty, he was the one who could be framed so easily and he was. He was right in the end," she explained.

Mr. Brauer turned to the jury and said, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, she may be his sister, but according to her peers, she's good at what she does which is being a detective like her brother. I mean she caught The Bayard Butcher. Now Miss Vega told you all that Will Graham is the most intelligent person in this room right now at this very second. He's even an intelligent psychopath, but if he is so intelligent then don't you think that before he called Hannibal Lecter after finding Abigail Hobbs' ear in his throat, he would've at least hid his fish hooks better which were of human remains from all of his supposed victims? No, instead like Agent Graham said, they were carelessly out in the open and put where anyone could've easily seen them. No further questions, your honor."

Miss Vega stood up immediately and walked over to her, saying, "Agent Graham, would you tell the jury of the events that took place on June 6th, 1999?"

Elizabeth stiffened in her seat. "I'm sorry. Could you specify on that date exactly?"

"Oh, well, I'm talking about the day where your own brother tried to kill you," Miss Vega said causally and there were gasps in the crowd. "Sorry, not you, but your boyfriend at the time, Trent Thomas."

"He was trying to protect me-"

"By attempting to murder your boyfriend?" She questioned in amusement.

"No, that was in self-defense seeing as how Trent was trying to rape me," Elizabeth replied coldly. "I came home from cheerleading practice and had this bad feeling in my stomach that something bad was going to happen today, but I quickly brushed it off as nothing. I go upstairs to my bedroom and find Trent sitting on my bed. I was barely even sixteen and he was a senior so of course I didn't care about how he got into my bedroom. I was young and in love with him at the time. I had broken up with him though because I found out that he was cheating on me with Meredith Hopkins who I later became friends with after since she never knew that he had a girlfriend. I tell him to get out since I never wanted to see him again and he didn't answer me…he just sat there watching me silently. Eventually I yelled at him to get out and then turned around to storm out of the bedroom since I really didn't want to see him. Then he grabbed my hair and shoved me onto my bed, pinning me down. I loved Trent and screamed at him to stop, but he kept on telling me crude things like how I wanted it and that I was…t-that I was being a tease to him with my cheerleading uniform and how I let the guys at our school look at me. Trent then started to tear off all of my clothes as I cried for him to stop, screaming at the top of lungs until he slapped me four times to shut me up. Will came in before Trent could do anything and nearly beat him to death. I tried to stop Will, but he accidentally and in blind rage had pushed me out the door to where I slammed into the wall and went falling down the stairs. Yes, I almost died, but at the same time, Will was protecting me from a rapist."

The room was silent as everyone stared at her and the jury had this pitiful look on their faces as did the judge almost. Elizabeth hastily wiped a tear from her eyes before it could reach her cheeks.

* * *

Elizabeth stared impassively at the ear placed in the middle of the table.

"Are you fucking kidding me," She muttered to them.

They stopped talking and looked at her incredulously as Jimmy questioned, "What?"

"This shit has to stop. We all know that it's not Will, seeing as how this ear was cut before the trial he even started and he was already in jail."

"Well, it could be from an admirer," Brian suggested to which they had nodded in agreement to.

Elizabeth's hands rolled into fists as fury appeared in her eyes. "Why are you all quick to think of the worse and to judge, huh? Katz thinks Will is obliviously guilty enough to where she's actually disgusted by the sight of him and annoyed as well. Jack feels and yet somehow doesn't feel guilty about what happened to Will. Alana is pushing him away and making sure that he pleads to being fucking crazy. Jimmy and Brian are mutual in this entire thing-"

"I can see that," Jimmy agreed as Brian looked at him like he was crazy. Jimmy shrugged. "What, Brian? We are."

Brian shook his head in exasperation and rubbed his temples in frustration. On any other day, that would've made her laugh…but definitely not today.

Elizabeth instead rolled her eyes and continued, "And Hannibal, he's trying to be his friend especially when he knows that he Will hates him and that I don't want him anywhere near him because Will thinks that he's doing all of this."

"Well," Hannibal spoke out. "You can't tell me what to do anymore since we're not dating anymore, Elizabeth."

She glared at him. "You're really gonna bring this up? Right now?"

Hannibal thought about it for a moment mockingly before answering, "Yes. I am."

"Oh, wow, you're such a grown-up," she said sarcastically. "It's not my fault that you can't respect someone's wishes. I have every right that is to be angry at you."

"No, you don't! You chose Will over me," he snapped. "You chose your brother over someone who loves you and wants to spend the rest of their life with you and for what? Just so you wouldn't hurt his feelings at wanting to be happy for once in your life?"

"He's my fucking brother," she shouted at him. "I would and will choose him over you any day and any time because that is what family does for each other. He's all I have left and I don't plan to lose him now over a guy."

"So that's all I am to you?! Just some man?! We lived together and told each other everything!"

She scoffed. "Oh please even I know that you don't tell me everything and that's okay because you have your secrets and I have mine, Hannibal! We'll always have secrets!"

"Ugh!" He groaned in rage. "He's turned you against me! I knew it! I knew he would."

"You're being ridiculous," Elizabeth sighed heavily. "You're being paranoid just like Will. You know what?! I'm done with you! This is stupid!"

Elizabeth turned around and started to walk away as Hannibal called out to her," Yeah, walk away just like you always do. You always run away whenever things get hard for you."

"Go fuck yourself," she called back to him sarcastically.

 _What an asshole,_ she mentally screamed in frustration mentally inside of her head.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Aw, Elizabeth and Hannibal are definitely on the outs with each other right now. I hoped you all liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time...**


	22. Chapter 22

"Hey, have you seen Hannibal?" Katz asked her as she walked into the building.

"Nope. Sorry."

Elizabeth walked quickly her to office. She tried to at least until Jack stepped in front of her.

"Do you know where Hannibal is? I need to discuss something with him."

She sighed, her voice holding a hint of annoyance as she replied, "I don't know where he is and don't really care actually."

She stepped around him and saw her office doors, relief filling her.

Brian and Jimmy were arguing as they came beside her then Jimmy asked her, "Where's Hannibal?"

"Yeah, cause we need to talk to him about the case with the mural killer," Brian added.

Elizabeth grinded her teeth together as she said through her teeth, "I don't know where Hannibal, I haven't seen Hannibal since our fight, and I don't plan on speaking or seeing him anytime soon."

Elizabeth picked up her pace as she walked towards her door, opening it as Alana opened her mouth to ask, "Hey, do you know-"

"NO!" she shouted Alana as she stood in the doorway. "I don't know where Hannibal Lecter is. We're not together anymore so why would I know his whereabouts! I haven't seen or spoken to him since then! I swear all I hear day in and out is Hannibal, Hannibal, HANNIBAL! If it's not here than it's with Will. Hannibal this and Hannibal that or my favorite, Hannibal is a psychopath who's trying to kill him! I want nothing to do with Hannibal Lecter, okay?!"

Alana chuckled. "I was just going to ask you if you know Will's lawyer's phone number so that I could put him on the case in case we need to talk to him."

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "Oh…well, I'll text you it later."

"Are you okay?" she asked lowly.

"I feel suffocated. I feel agitated. I feel like I want to rip everyone's throats out if they look at me the wrong way or something," Elizabeth confessed. "I'm basically being a Grade A Bitch to everyone."

Alana laughed. "We all have our moments."

"Ah, the perks of being a woman," Elizabeth drawled out as they walked further into her office. "Sometimes I wish that I was a lesbian 'cause then I wouldn't have to always figure out the men in my life work."

"Don't we all," she mused in reply.

Elizabeth ran a hand through her curls and said, "With everything going on right now, I just wish that Meredith was still here."

"You know Jack is working hard to find her."

"No, he's working hard to put Will away for good. He's not insane. I know my brother, Alana. He's not like that."

Alana nodded and gave her a small smile. "Um, here."

Alana handed her a file and Elizabeth asked curiously, "What's this?"

"Oh, a body was found by hikers in the woods about twenty miles or so away from here," Alana explained. "He was stabbed seven times in the chest and two times in the stomach."

Elizabeth froze as she saw the man she had killed and the same man that Hannibal helped her bury in the ground. _How the hell did they find him? We buried him six feet in the ground._

"What's his name," she asked softly.

"Andrew Tate," Alana answered. "He's a 28 year old male, no criminal record, and works at a coffee shop."

"Family? Friends?"

"He was a loner according to his boss, never talked to anyone-too shy actually," Alana said. "He was abandoned at birth, went to an orphanage at St. Vincent de Paul Church. He's alone to sum it all up."

Elizabeth felt guilt boil itself inside of her as she looked at the man she had murdered unconsciously. She was in a state where she became immediately unstable and that led to her hurting others. She wondered why she was in that state though. _Was I already losing my mind?_

 _Will I become like my father? Would I become something that I had made sure to never become?_

Elizabeth nodded absentmindedly. "I will get right on it."

"Wait. What about Will's trial?"

"Isn't Hannibal going up today?"

"Yes, why?"

"Then I'm not going. I hate him and I don't want to see him ever again."

"Don't you think you're being a little unreasonable right now with everything?"

"No," she snapped angrily. "I chose a side and it's the right one. Will is innocent and the real killer is out there. Jack is like a bloodhound because once he gets a scent, it's the scent he smells and will ever smell."

"What's wrong, Lizzie?"

"Nothing…" Elizabeth sat in her chair as she let out an angry huff. "You know my birth father contacted me. I hate crickets now because of him. Their stupid chirping…they chirp so much day and night."

"Why do you hate crickets," Alana asked inquisitively.

Elizabeth stiffened in her seat. "Because my birth father would always call me Cricket for some reason. I always hated the nickname because crickets are annoying, they make too much noise, and are so easy to step on when you find them, but hard to find. I was always good at hide and seek from him whenever he was drunk."

Silence stretched itself between them and Elizabeth realized that she had revealed too much to Alana. Elizabeth quickly stood up and told her, "I have to go, Alana. Sorry."

Elizabeth grabbed the files and put them into her bag as she walked outside of her office once again. She felt her phone vibrate as she was outside and stopped in her tracks when she saw that it was Meredith. Her heat pounded in her ears as she quickly looked around and saw that she was alone in the parking lot. She hesitantly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Lizzie? Lizzie," Meredith's frantic voice yelled in a whispered tone through the phone. "Help me. Please. He's closer to you than you think."

"Who? Mer, who?!"

"The Ripper," she whispered. "Lizzie, oh my God, The Ripper is-AH!"

Elizabeth stood frozen to the ground as she heard the phone hang up. "Mer…Mer…Meredith?"

Tears came down her cheeks as she somehow knew that something horrible had happened to her best friend.

Elizabeth's head started to hurt badly as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the floor. Her world evolving into darkness.

* * *

"She's not waking up, Will," Alana told him grimly.

Will stared ahead of her and to the wall behind her. Silent.

"What happened," he spoke quietly.

"We looked into her phone records and found that…that Meredith had called her and then she fainted."

"What do the doctors say?"

"They had to do surgery on her brain right away because they suspected that it could be a brain infection or epilepsy in the membrane," Alana explained carefully. "They said that it was a brain infection. They suspected that if she hadn't fainted and wasn't brought to the hospital that she would've died on that night judging by the inflammation of the membrane she had."

"How?"

"Will, Elizabeth had nausea, disorientation, memory problems, loss of consciousness, seizures, and was in a coma," Alana told him.

"How did you know that she had all of those-"

"Hannibal told us."

"Hannibal," Will mused. "Hannibal Lecter. Her ex."

"She told him that she had headaches. She always had them and then a two days before the trial she couldn't stop vomiting. Jack and Katz and the whole FBI team were there to back up his story," Alana sighed. "They went unnoticeable. She thought that she had food poisoning, but it wasn't."

"Has she woken up yet?"

"Hannibal will call me when she does. It's been two days though. They said that she probably needs a month or two months recovery."

"So she can't work for the FBI anymore," Will chuckled. _Great,_ he thought grimly. _Just what_ _ **he**_ _wanted probably_.

"Not until she's cleared by her doctor, but she still has a job there. There was something else, but the doctor wouldn't tell me because I am not family."

"Am I allowed to see her?"

Alana shook her head. "I don't know. Jack hasn't said anything yet."

* * *

 **TWO DAYS LATER…**

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered opened when she felt fingers gently brush her hair aside. She knitted her brows in confusion as she saw blurriness all around her.

"Hey there, Cricket."

Her vision became as clear as day as she started into the eyes of her father which matched her own eyes. The eyes of Klaus Adams.

Meanwhile across town, Beverly Katz held up a necklace with a silver moon pendent as she remembered that this necklace belonged to Elizabeth. _The same necklace that The Ripper took from her house when he broke inside of it._ The necklace was hidden inside a fake book labeled, "The Fundamentals of Anatomy" as it sat on a metal table along with other books. _His humor is nauseating._

She took out her phone and took a picture of it as she held it up in front of her. She then proceeded to go further into the basement, her flashlight and gun positioned in case she suspected something to pop out at her. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she switched on the light, taking out her phone.

Her face showed genuine surprise as she stared ahead at something unknown. If there was one word to describe what Beverly Katz it would be…mutilation.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she slowly turned around and saw Hannibal Lecter standing behind her, a good amount of distance between them. Her jaw hardened as she glared intensely at him before he quickly leapt towards the switch, shutting the lights out.

She immediately pulled the trigger at him blindly. She did it again and then another time before pressing the screen on her phone just as she felt him strangle her, looking into her eyes. His maroon eyes that seemed so warm before now were cold and showed his true colors.

Her phone fell slowly from her hand and to the ground when she felt her vision become quickly blurred. She felt a fain smile come onto her lips as she whispered to him, "They…will…find…out."

Hannibal's eyes slowly moved from her eyes to the phone that now laid on the floor as the screen blared brightly into the darkness, reading, **SENT TO ELIZABETH GRAHAM**.

Hannibal looked back to her and his arms tightened around her neck as he watched the precious life she once held leave her eyes as she slowly fell limp into his arms.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! So this was an exciting chapter I think for you guys. Elizabeth really has a whole list of problems right now to where I actually feel bad for doing to her, but then again every thing happens for a reason.**

 **So her birth father Klaus Adams is back (I will make him look like Simon Baker), Katz is dead, but she sent a photo of Elizabeth's necklace to her, Meredith called her, but Elizabeth has this feeling that she may be dead after trying to tell her about The Ripper's identity, Hannibal knows what Katz sent and is confused on where he stands, they found that the guy who she killed accidentally was now found, and Elizabeth can't work for a month or two depending on the doctor's orders. She likes catching the bad guys.**

 **Things next chapter are going to get even more complicating for Elizabeth and everyone else especially since Elizabeth's Papa has made an appearance and knows what's going on thanks to a little birdie. What I can tell you about him in just three words is that he's charming, manipulative, and cunning…he's nothing like Hannibal actually if that's what you're thinking.**

 **Is it wrong that I'm kind of excited to write him? I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	23. Chapter 23

"I don't want you here," Elizabeth growled at him as she sat up in the hospital bed that she was practically confined to courtesy of her doctor.

Her fath-Klaus chuckled. "You're being a little dramatic, don't you think?"

"The only thing that would make me dramatic is if I were to punch you in the face," Elizabeth told him coldly. "I just might do that actually. You're vey irritating."

"I'm your Dad, Cricket."

"No, you gave up that title when you abandoned me to do God knows what. Probably screw some hooker for all I know," Elizabeth retorted. "Didn't your partner die because you had your eyes on some girl."

"Gary's death wasn't exactly my fault."

She looked at him like he was crazy as she told him, "Yes it was."

"No, it wasn't," he stated calmly then sipped on his coffee.

"Yes, it was."

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, it wasn't, Cricket."

"Yes, it was and STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Klaus blinked at her and then raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, no need to get so angry about something that was like over a decade ago."

"You want me to get over the fact that caused the death of others and didn't feel any kind of remorse for it?!"

"You make me sound like a super villain," Klaus reminded her. "I've made some mistakes-"

"Horrible and life-threatening mistakes actually. You went to jail for them."

"Never went to jail and it was a mistrial," he reminded her. "And so has Will I heard."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. "He's innocent."

Klaus laughed sarcastically, "Yeah. Okay."

"He is," she replied firmly.

"Okay, yeah sure. Whatever you say," he drawled out. "Cricket."

Her hand curled into tiny fists of fury as she said carefully to him, "You can't judge because last time I checked you're like a psychopath or something."

He held a finger and corrected, "I prefer the term misunderstood thank you very much…and I'm a little cynical."

She scoffed. "Oh please. That's like calling The Joker actually sane."

"So now I am The Joker from a comic book," he mused as he looked over his phone. "My, your mind works in strange and mysterious ways. Reminds me of your mother actually."

"You two were perfect for each other."

"Why do you say were? Is she dead to you already?"

"Do not psychoanalyze me, Klaus," she barked at him.

"But she's not dead though. She's in Florida or I think Paris this week. We both made mistakes-"

"Like I said before people-innocent people died because of you and you felt no remorse about it, making you a bad person who I want no relationship with and the worst about all of this is that you did it for your mistress or whatever that hooker's name was."

"Her name is Sarah and she wasn't a hooker. I saved her."

"You chose one person over twenty others. That's not saving. That's called being selfish and murder."

"You're so self-righteous and judgmental. The minute someone disappoints you-that's it! They're suddenly dead to you and have no second chance. For example, Hannibal Lecter. I can't that I particularly like him-"

"Don't." Elizabeth said impassively. "Don't pretend that you give a damn about me. You never did and never will because that is who you are. You are a selfish man. You always have been. You cared more about your job than you did about me. I was actually happy the day you abandoned me and left me all alone because I got a father then."

Klaus chuckled. "You mean Charles…really? He's so boring though."

"He's my dad and you're just the man who knocked up Joan."

"Can I just say how bizarre it is that you call me and your mother by our first names?"

"You're so childish. You never take responsibility for anything bad and you give me excuses for everything and now you want my forgiveness after all these years. Well, too late! Because I never want to see you again."

"Come on, Cricket-"

"GET OUT!"

Klaus stared at her for a moment before standing up and then turned to walk out of the room, but not before telling her, "I abandoned you to give you your best chance. Happy birthday, Cricket."

Klaus left her room and Elizabeth let a tear fall down her cheek before you quickly wiped it away, angry at herself for letting her feel anything for the man who left her all alone when she was only seven years old. Her mother when she was six.

 _They always missed my birthday. What was another banner year to them compared to catching the killer and Macy's One-Day Big Sale?_

* * *

"Why are you not in the hospital," Jack asked accusingly.

Elizabeth shrugged nonchalantly. "They released me."

"They said that you were a pain in the ass," Alana corrected. "You forced them to release you unless they wanted to get arrested for keeping you there. You kept on making complaints-outrageous ones."

Elizabeth smiled charmingly at them as she sat down, crossing her legs. "What? I don't want to be chained down to the morgue when it's my birthday."

"You're really gonna milk that today, aren't you?" Alana mused.

Elizabeth nodded. "Oh, yes, I am."

"And in your spare time, you somehow managed to drag yourself to a salon?"

"I needed change. So I got a haircut."

"Again."

"This time I gave myself bangs."

"Well, while you're still on leave, I'm assigning a consultant in your place until you come back," Jack informed them.

"Who?" Alana and Elizabeth asked at the same time.

They heard laughing and Elizabeth's eyes widened as she saw Klaus laughing with Brian and Jimmy as they stood by a dead body.

"Are you kidding me?" Elizabeth muttered to herself then stood up and strode over to them, glaring at Klaus.

"Cricket," he greeted with a smile. "Let me guess…you forced the hospital to let you out early, am I right?"

He turned to Brian and Jimmy, adding on, "She never did like hospitals even when she was a little girl. She would just glare at them like how she's glaring at me right now actually. Her Doom Glare is what I used to call it."

"What are you doing here? I thought that you were leaving," Elizabeth asked in slight annoyance.

"Well," he drawled out. "You see, I was going to, but Agent Crawford told me of his situation and asked for my services. I accepted the job here he offered me. I like it here though it's too cold."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I don't want you here."

"That's not up to you as of this moment because I am going to meet the man that has captured my children's attentions," Klaus told her before calling, "Dr. Hannibal Lecter I presume."

"Will isn't your child," Elizabeth growled.

"Such hostility," Klaus joked. "And it's only ten in the morning. Wait till about two in the afternoon then we can talk, but right now I really want to get to know the doctor whose heart you broke."

"What makes you think I dumped him?"

"Because it's you, Cricket," Klaus explained like it was the simplest thing in the world.

Before she could say anything, Hannibal strolled up to them and she mentally groaned, wanting to strangle her father for getting involved in her life-for butting his nose in it now of all times. _Where was he when Joan left another child again? When Roger was still around?_

* * *

Hannibal gave a greeting smile to everyone who greeted him back politely. He almost thought that since everything had come into place that it was all too easy for him. Everyone seemed to believe him, not Will. He wondered why though. He had his theories and suspicions.

He was talking to Jack when someone called his name causing him to turn to the person in question. He was surprised at the new face he saw. Whoever he was, he seemed charming and Hannibal could see that he had a knack for manipulation. The unknown man smiled at him then talked a few words to Elizabeth who seemed to become gradually furious at whoever this man was.

Hannibal looked skeptically at them both; he didn't like how close they stood by each other. The man could be described as handsome. He looked older than Elizabeth and he knew that she liked older men, but this man seemed a little bit too old maybe. He had golden hair and nicely wavy and curly at the same time. He wore a well-cut three-piece suit, a button-down shirt with no tie, and beaten up brown shoes. He looked amused at whatever Elizabeth had told him.

"Hello, Dr. Lecter," Klaus greeted as he gave him a charming smile. "I'm Klaus Adams, a consultant with the FBI. Oh and Cricket's Dad-I mean Elizabeth."

 _It explains why she doesn't seem to like him that much…of course, he's her father. The man who abandoned her thus causing her trust issues to begin._ It all started with him, Hannibal concluded. _Why does he name sound familiar?_

Hannibal could see the resemblance they shared in looks, but he doubted that they had the same personality.

"Klaus Adams? Where do I know that name from?" Hannibal asked and shook his hand. He noticed how Klaus seemed to be analyzing him very closely. Too closely for his liking.

Klaus gave him that same charming smile he used on everyone which seemed to intrigue Hannibal. Klaus appeared to be alert and yet managed to mask it well with his charismatic persona. He made it seem as if he could see right through him…Hannibal knew though that this was only used to intimidate him into being scared.

"I was around here and there," he vaguely answered. "So you're the man that Elizabeth seems to be taken with? You chose a psychiatrist…really? That's very interesting."

"Why?" Hannibal asked curiously.

"Oh, because she doesn't like to talk about her feelings," Klaus said with a wave of his hand. "You know that whole thing and all. I'm very and delightfully anxious to work with you, Hannibal. I've heard many things about you."

"I hope they were good things," Hannibal replied, chuckling.

Klaus gave him a shrug. "Eh, here and there."

"There being from Will I assume."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes which irked Hannibal and made him almost glare at her.

Almost.

"So who's this Ripper I hear all about?" Klaus asked while a woman came up to them and handed him a teacup. "Oh, thank you so much, Brenda."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked incredulously. "You've only been here an hour."

"Two hours," he corrected then smiled. "I like my tea just like Hannibal likes his art, am I right?"

"Yes. I do. How did you know?"

"A wild guess."

Klaus turned around and looked over the photos of The Copycat murders as he drank his tea. Hannibal watched him closely and as discreetly as possible when he started to examine the cases before a wide smile broke onto his face.

"Will didn't do it," he announced.

"And how do you know that," Jack asked slightly callously.

He sipped his tea before shrugging. "It's so obvious. He has mental problems. Check. He can't remember anything. Check. He's clearly a little crazy. Check. No alibi. Check. He was at every crime scene. Check. Um, what else am I missing here?"

Jimmy added in, "Oh, the fish hooks."

Klaus pointed at him. "Yes! Hard evidence was out in the open to put him away. Therefore he's innocent. Case closed."

"Case closed?" Jack inquired. "That easy for you I bet. Here in the FBI, we actually need evidence first."

Klaus raised an amused eyebrow. "Well, you think he's innocent so you're gonna believe me. I bet Elizabeth said the same thing, didn't you, Cricket?"

"I did," she sighed heavily in annoyance. "But didn't believe me because I'm the crazy protective sister and all."

"No," Jack corrected her firmly. "There was no evidence to prove your theory."

"Is it me or does the copycat cases remind me of the ripper's?" Klaus asked.

"Why would the ripper pose as a copycat especially to his own killings," Jack asked, seeming a little frustrated with Elizabeth's father.

"He's narcissistic probably," Klaus suggested. "Likes playing mind games with you, isn't that right? He's basically throwing it in your face that once again you can't catch him."

"Why Will then?"

"Misdirection. Hates Will. Teaching Will a lesson. A test maybe. He likes the attention towards the way he kills others. There are so many reasons why he did what he did. I mean I bet he was probably in Will's trial, watching him."

"What do you mean watching him?" Jack insisted.

He shrugged. "There's no way of knowing anyhow so I wouldn't think of it, Jack. I need more time to look things over and free Will of course is before all of that."

"There was evidence-"

"He's innocent, Jack," Klaus defended firmly.

Hannibal thought that Will didn't get along with Klaus and his mother so well…yet here is Elizabeth's father trying to prove Will's innocence. Hannibal felt naked with Klaus's blunt words towards the murders and he somehow knew that Klaus was definitely going to be a problem since he already connected the two cases just by looking at them.

"I'm hungry," Klaus announced suddenly. "Brian, Jimmy, Hannibal, Jack, let's go get something eat. It's lunch time and we could all use a break from the smell of death."

"Must you always be so cynical?" Elizabeth vexed. "I swear everything with you is a joke."

"God, you're so serious," Klaus playfully scolded. "I was simply asking a question. Why must everything with you be like you're interrogating them or something?"

"You're doing this now? Here?"

"Aren't you supposed to be resting? You know…brain surgery and all." Klaus reminded and looked towards Jack who seemed to have remembered.

"He's right, Elizabeth. Go and rest," Jacked ordered.

"But-"

"That's an order from your superior," Jack interrupted her saying meanwhile Klaus smirked as he sipped his tea. Jack turned around and walked away. Elizabeth glared at Klaus who seemed unaffected by it.

"You heard the man," Klaus told her. "Take your Doom Glare and the angry vein on your neck outta here."

Elizabeth shook her head and stepped closer to him while he leaned back a little as if he were afraid of her. "When I get my hands on you…you're lucky, Klaus that I don't have my gun with me."

"Again with you calling me by my first name," Klaus muttered then turned to Hannibal. "Did you know that she's calls Joan and I by our first names?"

"Ah, her mother," Hannibal put together. "She's trying to detach herself from you both. No feelings. I think that you would need to worry if she called you Mr. Adams."

Klaus chuckled. "That's funny." He turned to Elizabeth who was still angrily glaring at him. "He's funny. I like him."

"I'm going," Elizabeth said before turning around and walking away.

"I'll walk you," Hannibal replied and walked beside her as Klaus sipped his tea.

Once they turned the corner and were out of hearing, Brian asked, "You planned that, didn't you?"

Klaus twirled the tea in his cup, shrugging. "I may or may not have just repaired that relationship."

"Sneaky bastard," Brain muttered breathlessly which made Klaus's smile widened.

* * *

As Elizabeth and Hannibal were walking to her car, Hannibal asked, "So that is the man who abandoned you?"

"Yup."

"Your mother did the same according to Will."

"She has the tendency to do that. Who knows if she did it again with some other poor guy? She was abandoned by her mother too. She met Will's father first, fell in love, got married, birthed Will, stayed around for a year or two then leaves. Joan did the same to me, but only when I was six then she left. Klaus left a year later," Elizabeth explained to him. "Can we sit?"

Hannibal nodded and they both sat on a bench. "Do you know why your mother stayed?"

Elizabeth gave a mirthless chuckle. "I don't know actually, but I think it was because she thought that she could do it."

"Do what?"

"Be a decent human being. Klaus still loves her, you can tell. Will's father-my father doesn't though." Elizabeth confessed.

"I'm sorry for what I've said to you and the way that I've been acting towards you," Hannibal apologized. "I shouldn't have said those things to you."

"Me too. I'm sorry. I was angry because Will told me that Klaus contacted me. Will seemed to be on his side. He tried to get me to contact him," Elizabeth replied before scoffing. "I felt betrayed by him."

"Why do you hate him so much? Aside from the abandonment."

"He chose catching the killer over me and Joan decided that a clothing sale was more important. I was lonely every day…barely saw them. When they left, I was happy and sad at the same time. Then my father found out about what Joan had did to me and took me, raised me as his daughter, and gave me an older brother named Will. My father told me that ever since I came to them, Will was always so protective of me. He was the only one willing to play tea parties with me and dolls too. He was always there for me, Hannibal and I want to be here for him."

"I know that now. I once had a sister."

"What was her name?"

"Mischa," he answered. "I loved her more than anything in this world and when she died…it felt like a part of me died with her."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth immediately replied sympathetically. "I couldn't imagine a life without Will inside of it."

"When I am with you, I don't know how to act."

"What do you mean, Hannibal?"

"I…I've never felt this way about any other and it confuses me greatly because I don't like the thought of another man touching you."

Elizabeth couldn't help, but chuckle at him. "I have to go, Hannibal. I'll see you later."

Elizabeth leaned over and lightly kissed his cheek before standing up and saying, "I'm sorry about your sister, Hannibal. Goodbye."

He watched her as she left. He thought that letting her go was the best option for him since he couldn't form any attachments to anyone for his sake. He knew that he would hurt her and a large part of him didn't want to. He heard her cry-heard her sob when Jack told her the news of Beverly Katz's death. He already made her cry, he hurt her, and would keep on hurting because that is who he was.

He was a killer.

He was a predator who preyed on the rude. If she got too close…well, Hannibal didn't know what he would do. He knew that deep down and out of instinct he would slit her throat in a minute.

He didn't know what had possessed him to tell her about his beloved sister. He lost control. He always lost control with Elizabeth. He couldn't lose control. He wouldn't. Never.

He would become The Ripper once she found out about him.

* * *

"You came," Will said as he sat on his bed.

"You're in jail," Klaus reminded him. "I had to come to the rescue of course. Couldn't very well leave you hanging. Sorry about your friend."

"So am I," Will replied, wanting to change the subject. "I'm surprised that Elizabeth hasn't killed you yet."

"She tried, but couldn't because Jack hired me in her place and it seems he did the same with Hannibal in yours," Klaus said then sat down in the chair.

"You believe me?"

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know what to believe. But I can say that he does strike my interest. There's something that he's hiding, but then again we all have secrets. He's odd. He's definitely older than her which makes me wonder many things. Oh and he couldn't stop looking at her."

"Because he's suspicious."

"He loves her, Will. Whenever anyone is in love, they can't stop themselves from taking a little peek at them every chance they get."

"He's incapable of feelings like love. He's an intelligent psychopath. If anything, he's probably baiting you."

"No, you're right. He suspected me and is watching me very closely that I can tell, but is it for this reason or perhaps that he knows that I left Elizabeth and is trying to protect her from me. You never know."

"I'm trying to protect her from him. It's good that they're not together because now she can actually live her life or at least try to without him inside of it."

Klaus laughed suddenly, shaking his head. "Oh, I wouldn't say that too quickly."

"Why is that?" Will questioned.

"The doctor told me something very interesting that I've decided not to share with her for numerous reasons," Klaus cryptically answered.

"Klaus," Will warned. "What is it?"

"She's pregnant." Klaus impassively told him. "Guess who the father is?"

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I didn't want to give away that she was pregnant all too soon, but I just felt like this was the right time. Anything can happen with the pregnancy, you guys so don't hate me if it's OOC or something. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger and the long chapter, but Klaus took up a lot of space actually.**

 **So he's working with Will and kind of believes him about Hannibal so he's gonna be like Will's eyes on Hannibal because Will can't protect her while he's behind bars and Klaus is very sneaky to not be detected. Elizabeth doesn't know that she's pregnant and Klaus didn't tell her. Klaus is very smart and observant much like Elizabeth. His story is explained more in the next couple of chapters. He wants to make amends with her, but she doesn't want to. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	24. Chapter 24

"You don't call, you don't write," Klaus scolded her playfully.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I think someone stole my phone."

Klaus stopped walking. "What? How? Where was the last place you saw it?"

She shrugged. "I think it was in my bag at the hospital, but I don't know honestly since everything's all fuzzy these days. Why?"

"Oh, well, your doctor has been calling you and she's needs to talk to you," Klaus replied.

"Do you know what about?" Elizabeth asked as she threw the stick, the dogs running past her to catch it.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

She looked at him. "You're lying, Klaus. You know exactly what she wants to talk about so spill."

"It's not my place to tell you."

"Why not? You had your nose in my business already and you talked to her so why won't you tell me? How bad is it? Did the infection come back?" She joked.

Klaus sighed heavily. "I get that you don't like me, Elizabeth. Hell, I don't like myself right now, but I am trying here so enough with the sarcasm and this isn't a joking manner."

She stopped walking and stared coldly at him. "What is it? Tell me right now, Klaus."

"I don't know how you will react. You're very hard to read," Klaus reminded her.

"I've been told," she said impassively. "Tell me."

Klaus opened his mouth, but then smirked when his phone rang. "Oh, I have to take this."

"Klaus-"

"Sorry, Cricket," he called out to her as he walked away, holding the phone up to his ear.

"God damn him," she muttered under her breath.

Klaus looked behind and waved at her in amusement as he answered, "Hello, Bedelia."

" _Klaus,"_ she greeted.

"And how's my favorite psychiatrist?"

She sighed. _"I told Hannibal exactly what you told me to say to him before I left."_

"Oh, I know," he answered simply. "Though why are you now telling me this?"

" _You said I had to pick a side and your side seemed…seemed more lively than Hannibal's."_

Klaus chuckled. "Ha, funny, funny woman you are. I hope you're not going to double cross us."

" _Why would I do that?"_ She asked smoothly.

"Because Hannibal has something good on you and you won't let that see the light of day no matter what," Klaus reminded her. "If there is anyone you should fear, it's me because I love my daughter and Will, but he doesn't know that. I would do anything for them. If they are harmed…I swear, Bedelia, I will make him regret it."

" _In my opinion, I think that you and Hannibal would have a lot in common under different circumstances."_

"Eh, possibly, but circumstances are what they are."

" _Yes, they are. Will must've been desperate to call you."_

"He needs a little push and I know how men like Hannibal think. He can't help, but love Elizabeth. He'll come close to killing, but he won't."

" _And why is that?"_

"Because she'll kill him first. Elizabeth is just like me. A cold-blooded killer."

" _They're hiding something."_

"Yes, that I must agree with. Elizabeth seems guilty and anxious, but she's hiding it under a mask. Meanwhile, Hannibal is as cool as a summer's breeze."

" _So you believe Will then about Hannibal."_

"Yes. Smart boy he is, going after Elizabeth and getting her to fall in love with him so that she won't suspect anything. He's covering his tracks under her nose. She trusts him, but not completely."

" _She didn't trust him before I left."_

Klaus's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What do you mean? I thought she always trusted him."

" _I may have told her how similar we look in my younger days and how Hannibal can smell anything."_

"Then what changed her mind?" Klaus asked curiously before smirking. "She knows."

" _She knows what?"_

"She knows all along that she's pregnant."

" _What?"_ Bedelia gasped. " _This is the worst possible thing that could happen and you know it. She'll go running into Hannibal's arms."_

"No, the worst possible thing that could happen is if Hannibal found out about what we are planning and kill us all, that's the worst outcome. Also she didn't. She hasn't told him."

" _Then why wouldn't she-"_

"That's what I want to know, but I'll find out and call you." Klaus told her.

" _Klaus?"_

"Yes."

" _I love you."_

A boyish grin came onto Klaus's face. "I love you too."

" _Come back to me safe and sound. Promise me."_

"I'll try. I can't make any promises just yet. Hannibal can't seem you on me then he'll immediately know. He's smarter than he looks."

" _I know. Goodbye."_

She hung up and Klaus wondered if he was doing the right thing. If taking away the love of his daughter's life was right. He wondered what would happen.

He wondered.

* * *

"I'm glad you decided to come over," Hannibal commented as he out the coat in the closet.

Elizabeth smiled softly. "I don't want us to be enemies, Hannibal. I don't like hating you."

"Why did you then?"

"I love my brother," she explained as they walked into the kitchen where lunch was being prepared.

"I love you."

"Hannibal," she warned. "I need to tell you something that has been on my mind for many weeks now when Will was arrested."

"It's okay, Elizabeth, you can tell me anything."

"I think it's best if we sit down first."

They sat down on the stools near the counter. Her heart pounded in her chest as her palms began to become sweaty.

"It smells delicious," Elizabeth complimented. "Can I have a plate right now actually?"

"Yes, of course." Hannibal said and filled the plates with food.

Hannibal was about to drink his wine when he stopped as he watched Elizabeth eat everything on her plate. He noticed how eager she seemed when the first bite went into her mouth. She stopped eating and asked, "What's that smell?"

He sniffed. "I don't smell anything."

Her brows furrowed. "I swear my sense of smell has increased by a million or something."

"Really?"

Elizabeth sniffed the air. "I think…I think it's cinnamon."

Hannibal froze. "Cinnamon?"

She nodded a little bit. "Yeah, it is."

 _She smells Beverly Katz,_ Hannibal thought grimly. _How?_

Hannibal kept a watchful eye on her as she continued, "And lemons."

She smiled softly which made Hannibal question, "What is it that has you smiling?"

"Meredith used to smell like lemons is all. I miss her…I sometimes think that she is dead."

"I'm sorry," he said gently and held her hand on top of the counter. "I know how much she means to you…you will find her."

"You think so?"

Hannibal nodded. "It's you. Trust me if anyone can catch a killer, it's you."

"Except the Ripper and Copycat."

"You don't think Will did those murders?"

"Never have and never will because The Ripper and The Copycat are the same person," she explained to him. "I don't want to talk about all that stuff right now, Hannibal."

He nodded in understanding. "It's perfectly understandable, Elizabeth. I want many things for us, you know? I want a future with you inside of-"

Elizabeth's teacup dropped to the ground as she frowned. "I'm so sorry. How clumsy of me-"

"It's quite alright," Hannibal told her as they both bent down to get pick up the pieces.

"I've ruined it though."

"It's just chipped." Hannibal assured her. "It's just a teacup."

"A chipped one," she reminded him. "It's China too. Oh God."

"Elizabeth-"

"I'm pregnant, Hannibal," she blurted out.

Hannibal stared at her, looking into her eyes for truth.

He found it.

All things seemed to stop moving for Hannibal as his head pounded furiously and his mind had so many thoughts coursing through them that he felt his head would explode from the impact. It was all too much.

Elizabeth sat on the floor with the chipped teacup in her delicate hands. "I found out just when Will was arrested and put in the asylum. I didn't know what to do and when I was going to tell you, you told me that you loved me and I was going to get rid of it"

"You were going to get an abortion without telling me that you even were pregnant," Hannibal questioned in a deathly low tone of voice.

"It's my body," Elizabeth reasoned. "I didn't even know if I wanted to have a baby. Yeah, sure I thought about it, but I…I never once thought myself the mothering type because the women on my mother's side tend to abandon their own children, Hannibal. It's a lot of pressure."

"I want the baby," Hannibal told her firmly. "Don't take this away from me."

"Hannibal," she said slowly. "I-I need to go."

Elizabeth stood up and continued, "I need time. I don't know if I want this baby and I don't know what to do right now."

Elizabeth grabbed two croissants on her way out of the house with Hannibal hot on her heels as he kept on calling out her name.

She stuffed the bread in her mouth as she asked, "What? What is it? God, I am so hungry all the time, Hannibal. I'm horny for everyone I lay eyes on even BRIAN AT ONE POINT! Brain, Hannibal! And cranky too!"

Hannibal couldn't help, but smile down at her from where they stood on the steps of his house.

"Why are you smiling?! You think I like being this way! I don't like having the hots for my friends." She stomped her foot in frustration.

"How far along are you?"

"I don't know. I have a little bump I think," Elizabeth elucidated then poked her stomach softly. "I'm scared."

Hannibal's hands held her shoulders as she looked up at her flat stomach. Hannibal stiffed her and thought, _I can smell the pregnancy now…why couldn't I have smelt it before? Of course there was a different kind of scent to her, but why didn't I pick up on it earlier?_

Hannibal wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her scent again, liking the way she smelled. He stoked her short wavy hair and complimented, "I like the way you did your hair, you know? It makes you more beautiful."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Thank you…I'm frightened, Hannibal…I'm scared that history will repeat itself if I have this baby. I'm scared that I'll be just like my mother and my grandmother and my great grandmother."

"Well, I won't let you become like them," Hannibal whispered in her ear as they embraced each other. "Never. We'll talk more about this tonight after I take a swim, alright?"

Elizabeth nodded shyly. "Okay. My phone got stolen so I'll try and use a payphone or something to call you."

"Be safe," Hannibal warned.

"Trouble always seems to find the two of us, huh?"

"You could say we're two sides of the same coin."

* * *

"Elizabeth, you are glow like a sun's flare in the darkness," Gideon complimented.

"I'm glad to see you alive, Dr. Gideon."

"Well, your brother didn't do a particularly good job of killing me. He was sick. And a very poor shot."

She scoffed as she stood in front of him locked in a cage. "Really? Because he had a good enough shot to get a bullet in you before you put a blade in Alana."

"But not before I took that girl…oh, what was her name again," he teased as he pretended to be thinking about it."

"Bullshit, you know her name."

He shrugged. "I think it was Meredith-who knows?"

"Where is her body?"

"I don't know. I seem to have forgotten where I put that thing."

She strode up to the bars. "You bastard! You know how much she means to Frederick and that's why you took her."

"What can I say? The Ripper wants to hurt you and he did it by taking Meredith. You love her dearly, don't you? See, he was hoping to get this type of reaction out of you."

"You gave her body to him which means you know exactly who he is…" Elizabeth realized, her eyes wide. "Tell me. Tell me who the ripper is. Tell where her body is."

He gave a weak chuckle. "Why bother…she's already dead."

A single tear came down her cheek as she looked straight at him. Gideon then chuckled in amusement which made her step away from him.

"I'm just kidding, Lizzie. I don't know what he did with her or to her."

"Did you call me just to taunt and laugh at me?" Elizabeth barked. "Does my misery make you happy?"

"The Ripper wants you alive. He's planning something big."

"Why did you decide to kill Alana Bloom?"

"A little birdie wanted me to kill her. Or a little birdie wanted your brother to have reason to kill me. But either way, we are equally expendable except for you of course. He has a…craving for you. You are his dream so to speak."

"You were trying to find the Ripper that night. Did you?" Elizabeth stirred him back onto the subject.

"I found Will Graham."

"Will isn't the Chesapeake Ripper." She said firmly. "And never will be."

"Not yet. All the things that make us who we are... What has to happen to make those things change? So much has happened to Mr. Graham. He is a changed man," Gideon explained.

"I know my brother," She told him. "He's looking to get even, isn't he?"

"Revenge is a trinket he could value."

"He thinks The Ripper killed Beverly, doesn't he?" Elizabeth questioned. "He thinks it's Hannibal?"

"For the courtesy you have always shown me, I am going to give you a gift. I'm going to give you a chance to save Will from himself. I know how much he means to you."

"How do I save him?"

"He is in a biblical place right now, but that rage will pass. And when it does, Will Graham will either be a murderer or he will not. Up to you."

"He…he can't kill anyone. He's here."

"Not with his own hands. But if he only had a little birdie who could whisper murder into a sympathetic ear..."

"Who's ear is he whispering into?" She asked softly.

"Congratulations on the pregnancy," Gideon replied. "You have a glow to you. Your father is a very interesting man."

"How do you know my father, doctor?"

"It's amazing how easily one could eavesdrop on a conversation-well, not really a conversation, but more like a…like a revenge plan. He's a very intelligent man."

"Who are they trying to kill?" she asked lowly.

"Let's hope you find your child's father in time before something unfortunate happens," Gideon called after her when she immediately turned around, running for the exit.

God damn them!

Elizabeth ran out of the building and towards her car, knowing exactly where Hannibal was. She turned on the ignition, pulling out of the parking lot to where she raced onto the road. She fumbled with her phone as she called Jack.

"Will sent an assassin after Hannibal," she explained quickly. "Gideon knew because he eavesdropped on a conversation between Klaus and him."

" _What?! Where is he?"_

"Hannibal told me that he was swimming tonight…we were gonna met each other afterwards, Jack," she said frantically as she sped through the road.

" _Do you know where?"_

"No!"

" _Just calm down, alright?"_ Jack commanded her to do in a soothing voice. _"I'll call Alana and we'll look through his office to see if we can find anything."_

"Okay," she whispered, she felt tears prickle her eyes. "Goddamn it!"

" _What is it?"_

"It's these stupid hormones, Jack. I-I'm so worried about him because I don't want him to die. I can't do this alone," Elizabeth snapped in frustration.

"Take deep breaths and they'll go away. Be calm, alright?"

"I can't be calm when he's in danger of dying from some lunatic who's got a crush on my brother because he thinks he's The Copycat!" Elizabeth retorted then immediately hung up.

Elizabeth stepped on the brakes of her car when she noticed Hannibal's car sitting in an empty parking lot. She saw another car and her heart pounded in her chest. She begged hopelessly to whoever was up there in the sky, watching over her that this was the right place.

She pulled into the parking lot and ran out of her car and into the swimming pool area. She noticed a bag lying on a lounge chair. She pulled it open and saw his suit, her heart picking up a beat as she reached behind her back and cocked her gun. Elizabeth glanced around the empty swimming pool area, her eyes catching double doors.

Elizabeth held her gun up as she ran over to them, pulling them open as she looked from side to side. She then climbed down the stairs and saw a lonely hallway which led to a sauna. She peeked and inside and held a hand over her mouth at the sight of Hannibal struggling to stand on top of a bucket as his wrists were cut open deep. He had a rope tied to his neck with his arms spread wide and taped onto a stick.

She saw blood slowly dripping from each step. Whoever this guy was, his back was turned as she slowly stepped inside. She saw there was more blood than she anticipated as she walked into the sauna more.

Will's admirer slowly turned around, the gun in his hand.

"And you must be his sister," he said then chuckled. "I always did like you. You were the only one who seemed to believe him."

"Shut the hell up and put your hands up where I can see them," She ordered him to do as she stood in front of him.

"Too bad," he mused. "You're too pretty-"

Elizabeth shot him in the stomach before he had a chance to raise his gun from his side. He fell down to the ground and she said softly, "I'm just as deadly as my brother, you know?"

Elizabeth put her gun away and turned to Hannibal. She took out her pocket knife as she quickly sliced through the tape holding his arms up.

The stick fell to the ground and she stood on her tippy toes to cut the rope from his neck. Hannibal fell onto her as she held him up. She held him tightly to her, breathing heavily. "Oh my God."

"You missed," someone said behind her.

She heard a gun being cocked just as Hannibal turned them around, moving her out of the way and shielding her. They heard a shot ring out and another one. Elizabeth saw as Jack didn't hesitate to take the shot.

"Thank God," Elizabeth breathed and leaned her head into his neck.

"Are you okay?" Hannibal whispered weakly.

"You're bleeding, you lunatic," she laughed breathlessly. "And you're worried about me."

"I'm worried about the both of you-"

Hannibal slumped against her and she yelled out, "Jack! Jack, call 911!"

"Get an ambulance," Jack ordered Alana who nodded and ran back outside.

Elizabeth was on the ground, holding Hannibal in her arms as tightly as possible, not wanting to let him go.

He can't die. I need him.

"I need you, Hannibal," Elizabeth whispered. "Please, stay."

"Klaus is gone," Jack told her.

"What?"

"We went to the hotel that he was staying at and we found nothing. No note, nothing. He left town I suppose."

"That's not surprising," she said softly. "People don't change, Jack, they just think they can."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Poor Hannibal and Elizabeth! They just can't seem to stay out of trouble, can't they? So Klaus and Bedelia and Will are in cahoots with each other. Klaus and Bedelia are a thing which only confuses more things, but shows Bedelia's need to protect Elizabeth from Hannibal. Hannibal wants a baby with Elizabeth, but she doesn't know if she wants that future with him especially since the women in her family are known for skipping out on their babies. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	25. Chapter 25

Elizabeth fingered the stitching going down his wrist as they lay in bed together.

"You should be asleep by now," Hannibal scolded lightly.

He was right; it was two in the morning.

"I can't sleep," she replied and sat up. "I was so scared. I was scared of losing you."

"You love me as I love you…it's expected."

"I can't believe…I just can't seem to wrap my head around what my brother was going to do to you." Elizabeth said softly. "He knows how much you mean to me, Hannibal. Why was he trying to kill you though? What did you ever do to him?"

Hannibal shrugged. "I don't know why he wanted me dead."

"I wish I did though." Elizabeth confessed. "I want to know…but I just can't bring myself to see him right now."

"And you shouldn't."

"He's my brother though," she reminded him. "I'll have to face him eventually. I want to understand."

Hannibal sighed and sat himself up against the headboard of his bed. "I want you to get hurt."

"Will won't hurt me."

"I'm not so sure anymore," Hannibal confessed solemnly.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm going to get some ginger ale soda. I'm feeling sick."

Elizabeth stood up from the bed, calling behind her, "Go back to sleep, Hannibal."

She made her way down stairs and went to the kitchen to the fridge where she grabbed a bottle of ginger ale. Elizabeth was walking out of the dining room when her eye caught something on the floor near the head chair of the dining room table.

Elizabeth set the bottle down after she gulped some of it down.

She bent down and her fingers softly traced the random small hole in the floor. She felt air on her hand and furrowed her brows in confusion. _Is there a basement?_

Elizabeth shrugged and stood up with a sigh, "It's just a basement, Elizabeth."

She grabbed the bottle and drank from it as she walked back up the stairs. She passed a mirror then stopped. She went back to the mirror and touched her stomach, then lifts up her nightgown. Elizabeth felt the firmness around her stomach. She cupped her breasts in her hands and they felt a little bit bigger than usual.

Sadly, her stomach was still flat, but she could see a very, very tiny bump in her stomach. She wondered how far along she was in her pregnancy.

She sighed and pulled her nightgown down, walking back to the bedroom. She saw Hannibal was still awake, waiting for her which made her smile. Elizabeth crawled onto the bed and said, "This is an awfully large bed, Dr. Lecter."

Hannibal grabbed her waist and slid her under him. He kissed down her body, squeezing her breasts as she let out a small moan. Hannibal smirked and lifted her nightgown up. He kissed her stomach and pulled down her panties, kissing her inner thighs.

Elizabeth smiled down at him. "It's gonna be a long pregnancy, Hannibal…"

* * *

Elizabeth sighed in frustration as she heard the doorbell ring and threw the instructions down on the living room floor before standing up. She walked over to the window and saw Jack out on her porch.

She opened the door, saying, "I thought that I still had a week left until I had to go back to work."

Jack chuckled. "I remember. I want to talk to you about something."

"If it's about Will, then I have nothing to say," Elizabeth replied, opening the door and letting him inside.

"I know, but I went to him last night," Jack told her as he closed the door behind him, pausing when he saw the living room. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to build a crib."

Jack's eyebrows lifted up in surprise. "For who?"

Elizabeth chuckled nervously. "For…I'm pregnant, Jack. Hannibal's the father and he knows about me being pregnant. He already ordered many, many things for the baby."

Elizabeth rubbed her eyes as Jack said, "Congratulations. I'm happy for you two…but you seem a little frustrated right now."

"I'm stressed that I'm gonna fuck up this baby…excuse my French, Jack. Hannibal's excited and he's trying to convince me to not work anymore," she chuckled mirthlessly.

Jack gestured for her to sit down on the couch. "I don't think that you're really stressed out about Hannibal and the baby, but the fact that Will isn't here to share your happiness."

"He's family," Elizabeth said softly. "He knows how much I love Hannibal and he knew that I was pregnant too! So did Klaus! And yet they still did it! They tried to kill him, but why?!"

"I know that I probably shouldn't tell you this because of the condition that you're in-"

"Oh please, Jack, I'm not some fragile China doll. I can handle anything."

"Will told me something that I would think you would like to know. It's about The Ripper," Jack explained. "Do you know why The Ripper kills in sounders of three or four, in quick order?"

Elizabeth nodded which actually surprised him. "Will already explained this theory to me as I did for him and The Copycat being The Ripper. We Grahams have the same mind…including Klaus sadly."

Jack nodded in agreement. "He says it's because if he waits too long, then the meat will spoil. He then…he says if the Ripper's killing then Hannibal Lecter's planning a dinner party. He even suggested that we ate them."

Elizabeth's hand ghosted over her stomach in protection. "I don't know who to believe anymore."

"Me too."

"For all we know, we've already met The Ripper," Elizabeth suggested. "I hate having them on opposite sides of each other because they like to whisper in my ear about the other. I just can't take this crap anymore. For now on, I'm freaking Switzerland until the baby comes."

Jack laughed. "Good luck."

"I hope this baby just makes it out of my hostile womb okay."

"Hostile womb?"

"People always seem to go for the stomach when we're fighting," Elizabeth explained. "I miss him and all that."

Before Jack could respond, dogs came piling into the living room, stepping on everything as they scurried to get some kind of love from Jack and Elizabeth. She laughed and stroked their fur coats and rubbed their bellies.

"I can't wait to have you back, Lizzie," Jack sighed as he stood up.

"Oh, so the Kids are driving you crazy already?"

Jack gave her a look that made her laugh as she walked him out of the house. "You and Katz were always the only two to make sure that they stay in line. Brian and Jimmy are a piece of work together."

"Oh, I know how you feel. I need 45 minutes away from them before I can be their best friend again."

They laughed and Jack replied, "Well, I have to go. Will and Hannibal can also be like children playing hide and seek with each other."

"Such a dangerous game," Elizabeth mused. "Say hello to Bella for me, will you, Jack?"

Jack nodded. "She wants me to tell you thank you for the flowers and the basket full of sweets you sent her."

Elizabeth smiled and turned around, seeing Winston holding the instructions for the crib in his mouth. "What? Are you going help me build a death trap for my kid now?"

Buster barked while the other dogs jumped and twirled around in excitement. She pointed at all of them as she walked back into the house. "Then you all better start protecting my spawn when he's torn through my vagina."

Elizabeth kneeled down and heard clattering in the back room. She stood up again, grabbing her gun as she walked over to the room slowly and as silently as possible. Elizabeth settled her breathing as she put one foot in front of the other carefully.

Her hand reached out and turned the doorknob and when she opened the door, she let out the loudest scream she had ever voiced before.

* * *

Hannibal sped down the street and pulled up into Elizabeth's driveway while the streets were filled with police cars and an ambulance. Hannibal ran up the steps just as the coroners were carrying out a black body bag. He strode into the house and called out, "Elizabeth! Where are you?! Elizabeth?!"

"Hannibal," she sniffled as she shuffled into the hallway from her bedroom.

His heart calmed down immediately as he wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent.

"What's happened?" he asked softly as he stroked her hair gently.

He heard her sniffle. "Mer…she's dead. S-She…her body was…oh my God, that fucking bastard! I'll kill him when I get my hands on him!"

Hannibal knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "The Ripper?"

Jack walked into the hallway and to them. "The Ripper tore out Meredith Hopkins's organs and put Elizabeth's favorite flowers in her stomach, mutilated various body parts too, and…and he apparently butchered her corpse as well."

"The Ripper did this?" Hannibal questioned in shock.

Hannibal remembered where he kept Meredith and she was definitely far away from Elizabeth. He made sure that there was no way of her getting out and yet here she was…except he didn't kill her. No, someone else did the deed for him…but who?

Jack pulled Hannibal aside as Elizabeth complained about having the sudden need to go pee and went to the bathroom quickly.

"What is it, Jack?"

"This looks like a copycat of The Butcher's murders."

"How? He's in prison."

Jack nodded. "There are things in Meredith's body that we never released to the public."

"Like what exactly?"

"Well, The Butcher would rip apart the uterus and carve an X into the heart. There's also another thing too." Jack explained.

Hannibal and Jack leaned in closely as Jack continued in a hush voice, "You remember that necklace that The Ripper took from Elizabeth's house?"

Hannibal nodded. "Yes, Will's father gave it to her when she was young."

"Didn't you get her a rose one after that?"

"Yes, I did."

Jack took out two evidence bags from his coat pocket and handed them to Hannibal. "These were found in Meredith uterus."

Hannibal examined the two necklaces which were from two different places. The silver moon necklace was hidden in Hannibal's house and the rose necklace was in Elizabeth's jewelry box last time he checked, still unworn. Finding them in the body could only mean one thing.

"Whoever this was, was in her house and The Ripper's. They took them and planted them in her body after death probably," Jack told him.

"So, they've been watching Elizabeth closely," Hannibal concluded.

"It looks like an obsession actually. It probably all began long ago when she first started The Butcher case," Jack said to him.

Hannibal remembered the eerie phone call he had received after Bedelia ended their doctor-patient relationship.

 _Hannibal heard his office phone ring before he answered it, "Hello. This is Dr. Hannibal Lecter's office, Dr. Lecter speaking."_

 _"Dr. Lecter," a male's smooth voice greeted from the phone. "You may not know me, but you will, Dr. Lecter."_

 _"Who is this," he demanded._

 _He laughed softly. "No, but you will. I know what you are, Hannibal Lecter."_

"Hannibal?"

Hannibal came back to the present and handed the necklaces to Jack.

As another hour went by, Hannibal found Elizabeth staring ahead into a window then he saw her stride forward and out of the house. He followed her of course, worrying about her no matter what she had said about her not being some damsel in distress.

Elizabeth walked to the trash cans and picked up a puppy who was sleeping next to it.

 _A stray_ , he thought. _Perhaps she is more like Will than she realizes._

The puppy appeared to be a tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Elizabeth giggled as it licked her cheek, its small tongue poking out before it wagged its tail and barked at her.

"Oh my God, you are the cutest thing in the world," she cooed and walked over to Hannibal.

"You're going to keep it, aren't you," Hannibal mused.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I even know what I'm going to name her too!"

"Good. You need to see something good right now," he encouraged, noting how the tears were still there in her eyes, but her cheeks were dry.

Elizabeth gave him a weak smile and kissed his lips as the puppy licked his chin. "She likes you."

"And how do you know it's a girl?"

"Well, seeing as how there's now penis down there…that's one thing," she explained in amusement, clearly trying not to look behind her where lied all of the reminders of Meredith including Freddie Lounds who was taking pictures of everything. Including them.

"What should we call her then?"

"Well, I guess our little boy does need someone to play with too so it has to be something fun?"

"Our little boy?"

She shrugged. "I feel as though it's a boy since I can't hold my pee in for long. No self-control like most men."

"I have control."

"But I make you lose control, remember?"

"That's right…now I do. So what's her name?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer when Alana came over and handed her a PB & J sandwich. "Here you go."

"Oh, thank you so much, Alana. I'm starving-hey!" she whined as the puppy suddenly leaned forward and started to slowly eat the sandwich out of Elizabeth's hand.

"Wow, she's really going for the peanut butter, huh?" Alana considered in amusement. "She's very cute though."

"Yeah, which means that she can get away with everything." Elizabeth grumbled as the puppy was now almost finished with HER sandwich.

"I know what to call her," Hannibal said and took the puppy out of Elizabeth's arms, holding her.

"What?"

"Peanut Butter," he suggested and scratched her head. "For her love of peanut butter."

Elizabeth brightened immediately at the name. "Yeah! And we can call her Peanuts for short."

They kissed each other passionately with Peanuts between them who was still licking the peanut butter off of her tiny mouth.

A camera clicked.

The picture showed of Elizabeth and Hannibal in a passionate kiss with their new dog between them.

 _Happiness in a field of darkness_ , the man thought cynically.

The man scowled a little bit at the happy site, but turned around, walking into the crowd as he blended in well with them quite easily.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! You should look up Elizabeth's and Hannibal's dog cause when I found it on Google, it was the cutest puppy ever. You'll see why it's named Peanuts a.k.a. Peanut Butter. There is a new threat in town and Hannibal's throwing a P-A-R-T-Y, but Jack and Frederick have their suspicions, but will Elizabeth believe them? Meanwhile she has a confrontation with a familiar face. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	26. Chapter 26

Hannibal held her hand tightly as she shivered when the cold gel slipped onto her stomach.

"Sorry about how cold it is," Dr. Sheppard told her as she smile softly at the couple.

Elizabeth glanced down at her stomach when Dr. Sheppard spread the gel over her stomach as she tried to find the baby's heartbeat. Hannibal kissed her temple and whispered, "Maybe we'll get a gender today."

"Not until I'm between sixteen and twenty weeks, Hannibal. I think you can wait about five months possibly."

Dr. Sheppard laughed and added, "Don't worry, you two. I think that you're closer to five months than you think actually…and here is your baby's heartbeat."

They watched the screen intensely as they heard a heartbeat from a blob on the screen. The doctor pointed out to them the head and heart. Hannibal genuinely smiled at the screen and chuckled a little bit to himself.

"You look to be at fifteen weeks now," she told them. "You'll start to show soon, but it's okay if you don't because some women's pregnancy are different from each other's. Right now the limbs are developing more and it looks like he's sucking his thumb."

"He?" Hannibal questioned. "It's a boy."

"Wait a couple of more weeks and come back in. I would say that this is only sixty-seven percent accurate. There's still a wide chance that it's a girl," Dr. Sheppard told them, smiling in amusement.

"Is it bad that he's too small especially at this stage in the pregnancy," Hannibal asked. "Are there side effects of this?"

Dr. Sheppard gave them a couple of pamphlets. "Here. These will tell you everything you need know about the next two trimesters in your pregnancy. They'll tell you the risks, when to call a doctor, the signs, and the symptoms too. Also tips for a healthy pregnancy and a baby as well. You have my number, okay? Call me at anytime if you have any questions or concerns."

Elizabeth nodded firmly. "Thank you so much, Dr. Sheppard."

"And here's some pictures of your baby," she said happily and gave them the pictures.

Hannibal took them as Elizabeth cleaned her stomach with a paper towel once the doctor left them alone.

"I'm going throw a dinner party tomorrow night, alright," Hannibal confirmed which stopped Elizabeth from cleaning her stomach.

"What?" she said breathlessly.

Hannibal smiled and kissed her cheek. "I said, I'm going to throw a dinner party and I'm hoping that you could come."

"Oh, okay. I'm going to see Will tonight," Elizabeth told him as she pulled her shirt down.

"Are you sure you want to be putting yourself in that situation especially in your condition?"

She nodded confidently. "Yes because he's still my brother and I have to know, Hannibal. He's our child's uncle and he's family now. I can't just leave him behind like that."

"I know that," Hannibal replied. "I've known that since the moment I had met you. You're too kind and compassionate to give up on someone you love"

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Besides, in six months or so, we'll be adding a mini us to our family, Hannibal."

"And you can be sure that I'm planning to teach him many things."

* * *

"I heard about Meredith."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I can't…I can't talk about it. There's another killer out there and he's being following me since The Butcher…maybe even before that. I don't know who he is and he knows who The Ripper is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that this killer butchered my friend the way that The Butcher would have and the fact that my two necklaces were found in her uterus. The necklace that The Ripper stole and the necklace that Hannibal gave me," Elizabeth explained, trying not to look into his eyes.

"You know about the other murders, don't you? The recent ones involving The Ripper."

After a moment of silence between the siblings, Elizabeth said softly, "He's throwing a dinner party…well, a party with snacks actually."

"Snacks that are people," Will reminded her. "You know that though…you're starting to see and you can't help, but wonder if my words are true."

Elizabeth slowly turned back to him and watched him carefully. "I'm questioning whether or not the man I love is two different people. If it's all a lie and a game between the two of us…if it's a mask he's being wearing in front of me this entire time. I told him things that I wouldn't have even shared in my darkest dreams, Will."

Will knitted his brows in confusion. "What exactly did you tell him?"

Elizabeth came closer. "I turned off the microphones in here for the duration of my stay."

"What is it?"

"I killed someone," she whispered very quietly. "I thought that he was someone else…I thought that he was The Butcher, Will. Am I a monster now because I don't feel guilty about his death?"

"There is only one monster out there."

"I'm a different kind of monster," Elizabeth thought aloud.

"Was Hannibal giving you white pills at the time?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, he was, but then he stopped. I was going out of my mind at the time. I didn't know that I killed him until after it happened and I called Hannibal, he helped me bury the body six feet deep into the ground."

"And then the body came back up, yes? That is what he does. He makes you think that he's the only person that you can trust with anything-the only person that you can depend on-"

"The only person that you need…"

"Jack told me that you're pregnant."

"Yeah…I'm fifteen weeks now," Elizabeth informed in as she put the sonogram photo into the box where Will pulled it out and looked over the photo. "But you already knew that and still tried to kill the father of my child."

"Boy or girl?" Will questioned, changing the subject.

"She said that it was sixty-seven percent chance that it was a boy…I found a stray tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. We named it Peanut Butter because she loves peanut butter, but we call it Peanuts for shorts," Elizabeth explained with a soft smile.

Will returned her smile and replied, "All that matters to me is that I'm finally gonna be an Uncle…I'm scared that he'll get our genetics though."

"Me too."

"And Hannibal's too," Will boldly said and looked up from the photo. "You have to be careful around everyone."

"I am cautious with every decision that I make now," Elizabeth responded. "I know that there is someone else out there more sinister than The Ripper himself. I think that there is more than one reason why The Ripper is killing more people all of the sudden and that is the fact that he knows there is someone else out there circling his prey and becoming the predator."

"Three predators," Will mused. "You just know how to attract them, don't ya, sis?"

Elizabeth sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Yup…that's me. The Lover of Psychopaths…Persephone to a bunch of Hades when you think about it."

"Are you going to the party?"

"It's tomorrow night. I told him that I would go."

"I sent Katz after Hannibal, told her some things about him, and she found something that led to her death," Will explained. "She found The Ripper. The phone records said that she sent a text message to you before her time of death."

"My phone was stolen," She said. "I haven't been able to find it. I don't remember where I left it actually."

"Can I keep this?" Will asked, holding up the photo.

"Of course. I had it printed out for you. Why did you try to kill Hannibal?"

"You know why and great way of changing the subject."

"You didn't answer it the first time I asked."

"He…I know it in my gut that he killed her, Lizzie. She knew who he was and he knew who she was. She knew The Ripper. The way he killed her and…did you have meat after her death?"

Elizabeth gulped nervously. "I think so, but I vomited later that night. It was the meat in my puke."

"The baby didn't like it," he chuckled.

"Hannibal isn't…he would never try to hurt me."

"You are all he has left of something. You are carrying his child-his progeny. Trust me when I say that once the baby is more developed, he will cut all ties and tie up loose ends."

"STOP IT!" She shouted madly at him, breathing heavily. "HANNIBAL IS NOT THE FUCKING RIPPER!"

Will looked shocked at her outburst for a moment then he was silent as Elizabeth started to sob hysterically as she plopped down into the chair.

"I-I can't have t-that much bad luck with men," she sobbed into her hands. "Can I?"

Will sighed as he sat on the bed. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, Lizzie."

She shook her head, sniffling. "It's the fucking hormones I tell you."

"I can't wait to meet my little nephew or niece and Peanuts. You've picked up my bad habit of strays," he mused. "You probably have a name for them in your head, am I right?"

Elizabeth laughed as she wiped her eyes with a tissue. "I may have thought of a name."

"Tell me," he softly told her. "What the boy's name?"

"Phillip."

"And the girl's?"

"Prudence. Prue for short. We still haven't talked about it yet though."

"Don't worry…you'll be nothing like her, you know?" Will confidently reminded her. "You'll be a great mother and a very protective one too."

"So will you except you'll be their Uncle."

Will chuckled. "Of course. I'll give them sweets when you won't."

Elizabeth stood up saying, "I'll get you out of here. You didn't do it. I know that in my gut that you didn't. You couldn't have because it's you."

Will smiled thankfully at her. "You're the only person who's actually believed me this entire time, never even doubted me, did you know that?"

She shrugged. "You're my brother. We're family and in this family, Grahams don't leave each other behind, Will. We're a bunch of wolves to people who threaten our pack."

Will laughed and nodded. "You got that right."

Elizabeth turned around, waving goodbye to him as she walked away. She touched her stomach as she could've sworn that she felt that it was bigger. She quickly walked to the restrooms and pulled up her shirt, pushing out her stomach a little.

 _Oh, I am totally gonna get really, very fat,_ she thought. _I probably won't be able to have this body be used for sex again. Oh, my sweet little Phillip…why are you so small now? I just hope there's nothing wrong with you…_

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUSLY AWESOME! AH! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	27. Chapter 27

Elizabeth was walking down a dark street with barely any streetlights on it when she felt eyes on her. She turned around casually as if suspecting it was Hannibal or Jack or even Frederick, but all she found was an empty sidewalk and the occasional pick up of the wind through dead leaves.

She kept on walking, almost picking up her pace a little. Elizabeth felt suffocated at Hannibal's party especially when Jack had came and Frederick was avoiding her and Hannibal at all costs too. Jack took "party favors" of the food saying that they were for him, but she could see that he was lying and for all she knew, he was going to test them.

 _Damn Will,_ she thought bitterly.

So she decided to slip out of the house unnoticed and went for a long walk through the woods. The woods felt safe to her and the sounds that the animals did not bother nor frighten her like most. She felt safe with the wild. The irony of it all was not lost on her as she remembered that the woods would always be a place of darkness and fear hence every horror movie having at least one woods scene.

The dark she never feared...until she came to Baltimore.

Three serial killers wanted her dead, but now one is infatuated, another is admirable, and the other is dead by her hands. _So much blood on these pale hands,_ she thought grimly.

Elizabeth felt that feeling again and she slowed her pace a little, looking in her peripheral vision for anything out of the ordinary when she spotted a dark figure creeping towards her on her way home.

She stopped and quickly turned around, running closer to it especially when it started to move backwards. Elizabeth felt it grab her arm roughly and twisted it behind her back constricting her from moving as pain spiked up her arm whenever she moved. She grunted in pain and froze when it leaned down from behind her and whispered into her, its voice eerie to her,

"Tyger Tyger, burning bright,  
In the forests of the night;  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.  
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?  
On what wings dare he aspire?  
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,  
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?  
And when thy heart began to beat,  
What dread hand? & what dread feet?"

When she thought that he was done, he recited in her other ear, "

What the hammer? what the chain,  
In what furnace was thy brain?  
What the anvil? what dread grasp,  
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears  
And water'd heaven with their tears:  
Did he smile his work to see?  
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,  
In the forests of the night:  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"

She tried to look at whoever this man was, but he tugged on her arm causing her to squeeze her eyes in pain. He shook his head against her own and leaned his head against hers.

"Tsk, tsk. No peeking just yet," he warned. "Sweet dreams, Lamb."

He threw her to the ground and she heard his retreating footsteps fading in the darkness once more. She felt her palms hurt from the impact and stood up. She let out a shaky breath and dialed the number for a taxi which came a couple of minutes later. On her way back to the house, she decided not to tell anyone about what had just happened since she herself did not know the meaning of it. She could tell that there was a warning lying in the midst of his appearance.

Elizabeth paid the driver and walked up the steps, stopping at the top of them. She saw Alana's car still in the driveway and she went around the house where the windows faced the party. She stood on her tippy toes and saw Alana kissing Hannibal as they sat on the seat of the piano in the living room.

Elizabeth stepped back from the window and quickly went to the front of the air, her ears ringing and eyes stinging. She walked over the lawns and inside of her house. She walked to her bedroom and took out suitcases before calling a taxi. As she packed, Peanuts watched her from the bed. She packed all of her clothes and heard a honk. She put her suitcases in the trunk and the duffle bags in there too. She went back inside and felt silent tears trail down her face as she picked up Peanuts who started to lick her cheek as they walked out the door together.

Elizabeth stepped inside of the taxi and held the dog close. She saw Hannibal walk quickly out of his house towards her as she told the driver, "Wolf Trap please."

She closed her eyes and blocked him out as they drove away. "Go to The Vienna Hotel please."

It only took a half hour to arrive there and already she was tired after making a reservation at the hotel. She saw that it was only nine in the evening and usually she wouldn't mind staying up late, but since her pregnancy, she's been extremely tired and really hungry. Elizabeth stepped out of the taxi and the bellhops helped her by picking up her bags. She walked inside of the hotel, wiping her eyes furiously as she checked into the hotel.

"Okay, you are in Suite 4927. Welcome to The Vienna Hotel, Miss Magrah," the woman greeted politely with a wide smile.

"Thank you," she said, taking the room key.

She walked into the elevator, Peanuts whimpering softly and liked her cheek. She smiled down at her dog and cuddled her in her arms. When her floor came up, she went to the suite opening it as the bellhop went inside, putting her bags down and leaving her alone. The suite was very beautiful and elegant, but Elizabeth didn't really notice as she trailed into the master bedroom, sobbing quietly.

She set Peanuts down on the bed, taking off her dress and glared down at her stomach. _I'm too fat and Alana is so gorgeous…and not fat._

She dug into her bag and put on her pajamas, locking the windows and front doors. Elizabeth climbed into bed, silencing her phone and the missed calls from Hannibal and Alana too. Peanuts yawned and snuggled closer into her chest as Elizabeth stroked her soft fur, both closing their eyes.

* * *

Elizabeth honestly didn't know how long she had been in bed for as crumpled up tissues were scattered around her as she lied on the bed. She heard the door unlock and a door opening, but she was too sad to actually sit up and see who it was or even be frightened of who it was.

Elizabeth watched as Will walked into the room, knitting his brows in confusions.

"There was another murder that proved my innocence," he explained, walking into the room. "I tried your home, but there was no answer and Alana had my dogs when I returned home."

"How did you find me?"

Will gave her a knowing smile. "Magrah is Graham rearranged. I heard what Hannibal did to you, Lizzie."

Elizabeth sniffled and blew her nose into a tissue. "I saw Alana kissing him through a w-window and I turned around, packed my things and left. I'm thinking about selling my house and probably moving too."

Will chuckled and sat on the bed next to her. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?"

"I don't really think so. Hannibal cheated on me and when someone cheats on me then that's it, Will. There is no second chance."

"I expected something like that and that is exactly what I told Hannibal when he came over to my house, looking for you this morning," Will explained. "He did more than just break your heart…didn't he?"

Elizabeth nodded and sobbed as she leaned into him with her head on his shoulder, "He…I-I love him so much and he kissed her! She's so s-skinny and pretty too! Here I am, all fat and disgusting with snot d-dripping from my n-nose."

Will held his sister close to him and comforted her as she cried into his shoulder.

"I'll be all alone now," she cried. "No guy wants a pregnant or single mom with a hot body!"

Will laughed. "Yes, you will. You will find someone actually worth having you."

"I hate him," she whispered. "How could he do this to me? To our child? To Peanuts?!"

Peanuts's head popped up and tilt it's head to the side. Will scratched her head and said, "So you're the scrunt who's taken up with Lizzie, huh? Did you already meet the gang?"

Will whistled and the dogs came charging into the room and onto the bed causing Elizabeth to laugh, her tears drying away. Peanuts barked as Winston came at her, licking her.

"Is it me or does Winston have some sort of crush on her," Will asked her.

She knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Wow. I guess we'll have puppies soon…maybe."

"We need to get them fixed," Will reminded her.

"You haven't got Winston fixed yet," she chuckled.

"I've had a lot on my plate."

"I know…so how did he kill the victim?"

"Hanging from the ceiling by fish hooks," Will told her. "All over the back of his body."

Elizabeth stood up and went to her coat when she heard her phone ringing. She shoved her hands in the pockets, finding a piece of paper inside one of them. She took it out and she opened it, reading the headline of Tattle Crime, **THE BAYARD BUTCHER CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM! ESCAPED OR A COPYCAT?**

Elizabeth sighed in frustration. She knew that if they were led to believing that he escaped then that would lead to her and what she had done. She turned it over and saw angry red letters saying,

 _ **I'm still here.**_

 _ **Always with love,**_

 _ **THE BUTCHER.**_

She felt the world stop around her and she shook her head, thinking, _No...I killed him. It's impossible. He's not alive. He's dead. I killed him...didn't I?_

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, FAVORITES! WOW, 1O1 FOLLOWS! AAAHHHH! You guys are the best so please don't get mad at me for what happened with Hannibal and Elizabeth so I will tell you; everything is not always as what it seems to be. Is she going mad or is The Butcher really alive? I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	28. Chapter 28

Elizabeth was absentmindedly cleaning when someone knocked on the suite door. She walked over to the door, looking in the porthole and sighed.

"Hannibal," she greeted tensely as she opened the door.

"May I come inside?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You know why. Should I even ask how you found me?"

"Last name rearranged."

"Ah," she drawled out. "You kissed my friend and I saw it, Hannibal. I left you alone for a half hour or so and you moved on already."

"She kissed me first and I did not kiss Alana back. I pushed her away after she kissed me. I went after you and I've been trying to track you down since. You're a hard woman to find," he explained.

"It's only been a couple of days, Hannibal," Elizabeth reminded him as she turned away, walking back inside of the room where she sat down on the sofa.

Hannibal closed the door and sat next to her cautiously. "I'm sorry for the events that have occurred. I miss you. I feel as if it has been weeks since I've seen you. I need you, Elizabeth. Do not leave me…please."

Elizabeth put her face in her hands and sighed. "I can't get that image of you two out of my head. I have to think about especially with our child. I have to do what's best of them. I will always put them first before anything…including you."

"And what about Will?"

"Even Will." She snapped softly. "Our child should be our first choice above everything. I want to give them everything that they deserve."

Hannibal smiled at her. "I know. I feel the same. I want you both by my side of every single day."

"What?"

"Marry me."

"What?" She repeated softly, gulping nervously.

"Marry me."

Elizabeth laughed hysterically and asked, "Are you serious?"

"Very in fact," he said stiffly and pulled out a little black box, placing it on the coffee table.

Elizabeth shot up on her feet and paced back and forth in front of him. "Why? Why now?"

"The time is right. You are pregnant with our child and I want him to have a stable environment," he answered.

"We can't get married," she informed him.

He shrugged. "Why not?"

She looked at him like he was crazy and slowly told him, "Because I don't want to marry you just because it's the best thing for our son. I want you to marry me because you love me and you want to."

"I do want to…because of our son."

"No, Hannibal. I can't marry you because I want to marry someone who actually wants to marry me because they love me and want to be with me forever and all that. We shouldn't get married because it's convenient," Elizabeth replied. "No matter how much the ring you got me is beautiful…show me the ring-no, don't show me it! I'll probably say yes to marry you and throw everything that I believe in right now out the window."

Hannibal chuckled. "Are you saying that the ring would be manipulating you into marriage?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Yes, it definitely will."

Hannibal stood up and kissed her passionately.

"Am I forgiven yet?"

"Buy me shiny things first then we can revisit and revise this later." Elizabeth said to him. "Besides…I'm really horny right now and I feel like I'm going crazy right now because of the way you smell."

Hannibal suddenly picked her up in his arms causing her to gasp in surprise as she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I can fix that."

"So you're okay with us not getting married?"

"I am, Elizabeth. I am a very patient man and I can wait a long time."

Hannibal placed her on the bed and hovered over her. Elizabeth smiled up at him and started to unbutton his vest. Hannibal squeezed her breasts then suddenly ripped open her top, gazing down at her breasts which were bigger because of the pregnancy. He quickly unhooked her bra and trailed his lips around her nipples lightly grazing them to tease her.

He pulled off her bra and shirt, tossing it onto the ground. Elizabeth moaned softly when he nipped at her skin a couple of times before biting her thigh with his bare teeth. Hannibal turned her on her stomach and planted kisses on each of her shoulder blades then her back. He started to pull her yoga pants down her pale legs along with her panties. Hannibal stood up and pulled off the rest of his clothes. Elizabeth turned her head and gave him a bright smile after seeing him bare and naked.

He bent down and nipped again at her butt cheeks, squeezing them in each of his hands. Hannibal roughly turned her on her back once again and kissed her lips passionately. His hands were all over her body as her own hands were slowly trailing his muscles. Elizabeth moaned when Hannibal opened her legs and led his cock inside of her, filling her completely.

"Hannibal," she moaned lowly, closing her eyes in pleasure.

"Open your eyes," he commanded and she obeyed. "Now don't close them."

Elizabeth nodded and gripped his biceps as he kept thrusting in and out of her. She cupped his face and locked her lips onto his as he quickened his pace inside of her. She bit his bottom lip and tugged on it a little bit before releasing it and smirking as her nails scratched down his back, drawing blood. Hannibal growled and returned her smirk as he wrapped his fingers around her wrists and held them on either side of her head.

Elizabeth moaned loudly as he pounded into her roughly causing the bed to shake against the wall.

She heard him murmur, "So tight…so beautiful…"

He gripped the sheets beside her head as she arched her back in bliss when she climaxed, tightening around him. Hannibal stilled inside of her, releasing himself inside of her with a loud groan, griping her thighs. They both breathed heavily as Hannibal rolled off of her and onto his back.

Sweat coated their bodies and Hannibal turned on his side, stroking her wet hair that breathed hotness from their latest activity. Elizabeth smiled at him and asked, "Did I hurt you, Dr. Lecter?"

Hannibal nuzzled his nose into her hair, shaking his head. "Hardly. I'll heal."

"I seem to be getting darker within each day," she said softly. "I wonder if it's a bad thing."

"They won't figure out that it was you who killed that boy."

"How?"

"Don't worry…I have a plan that will ensure our family. For good."

"Oh so your attempt at marriage with me was Plan A, huh?"

"I have a Plan B…and a C….and a D…and if those fail, well, you know how the alphabet goes."

"Should I be scared, Hannibal?"

"I can't quite figure out what frightens you, Elizabeth. You never gave anything away to me."

Elizabeth gave him a charming smile. "Good."

* * *

Elizabeth strode into the FBI building with her head down as to avoid anyone suspecting her since she was not supposed to there until tomorrow, but she really wanted to get a day heard start of the pile of work that was probably on her desk.

She snuck into her office and riffled through the files on her desk when someone knocked on her door causing her to jump in fright.

"I'm sorry, Agent Graham. I didn't mean to scare you," a woman said with a southern accent.

"No, it's not you. It's the nerves. I'm not supposed to be here until tomorrow, but I'm a workaholic," Elizabeth joked. "I've never seen you here before. What is your name?"

"I'm Clarice Starling. I'm a junior at the University of Virginia," she replied, smiling a little bit as they shook hands nervously.

"Hello, Miss Starling. What are majoring?"

"In psychology and criminology."

"Oh, I majored the same when I was your age," Elizabeth informed her. "May I ask why you're here?"

"I wanted to meet you. You're a legend in criminology, you know?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I'm not that famous. I barely did anything honestly. I did my job and cached the killer."

"I read on the news about what happened to Meredith Hopkins and that it could probably be The Bayard Butcher and I know that this is crazy, but I got something in the mail just two days ago…" Clarice explained, sitting down.

Elizabeth noticed the slight fear in her eyes. She noticed how pretty she was too. _She looked like someone that he would've gone after,_ Elizabeth thought. _Another reason to add to the possibility that he could be alive._

"Show me, Clarice."

With shaky yet somehow firm hands she reached into her bag and took out an envelope. Elizabeth sat in the chair next to her and took the envelope, opening it. She pulled out a letter and it read in angry red letters,

 **When the stars threw down their spears** **  
** **And water'd heaven with their tears:** **  
** **Did he smile his work to see?** **  
** **Did he who made the Lamb make thee?**

 **Welcome to the game, Clarice**

 **-THE BUTCHER**

Elizabeth's jaw hardened as she looked up into the young face of Clarice Starling. _She reminds him of me,_ Elizabeth thought sadly. _He will repeat the same thing with me except now he's probably somehow changed his entire identity now. He's going after her…but why? Maybe he sees her as a threat, but she's not even looking for him like I was. She wasn't involved so what made her involved._

"Did you know Roger?"

"Yes. I knew him when we were children. His name was Charles Harmon though. I recognized him from a photo and the fact that he called me before he did this."

"You interacted with him? Why didn't call the police after finding this?"

"Because the police couldn't find him, but you did."

"Clarice, I didn't find Roger-I mean Charles. He manipulated me into falling in love with him and I put the puzzle pieces together too late. I got lucky in my opinion," Elizabeth explained, giving her a little smile. "You need to ignore him though. He'll back off."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me everything?" Clarice boldly asked. "Ma'am."

"You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age. Intelligent. Pretty. Clever. Bold. Also compassionate. Hold on to your compassion, Clarice Starling especially when dealing with killers because you may lose it."

"Did you lose your compassion?"

"The truth?" Clarice nodded. "Yes, I did. The world is cruel and dark. These days I am surrounded by darkness and the only light I have in my life is my unborn baby. I don't know what he wants from you, Clarice especially after such a long time. You must call me every night so that I know that you're okay. He knows that I will feel very guilty if you died because of me."

"He likes to play games. Always have. He has deep resent for women possibly because of his mother. He made that very clear with Meredith Hopkins's murder."

"The poem he wrote you was a verse from the same poem that he whispered in my ear three days ago. The Tyger by William Blake. He called me his Sweet Lamb. I don't know what kind of he's playing with the both of us."

"Neither do I. You were his last victim. You got away so I could see why he is so fixated on you, but me…I don't know."

"And that's why you came to me," she realized. "Because you think that I could answer the infamous question as to why?"

"Yes, I believe that you can."

Elizabeth smiled at her. "Your optimism is very refreshing, Clarice Starling."

"I would imagine so especially after what you've been through." Clarice stood up, continuing, "Well, it was nice to finally meet you, Elizabeth Graham. You've really been an inspiration to me and so many others actually. Thank you for your time and for helping me."

"Of course. Please keep this matter between us, Clarice and call me every night or so to keep me informed."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much." Clarice responded before turning around and walking out of her office.

Elizabeth sighed and shoved the letter into her purse as she carried all the folders she could in her arms. Hannibal was watching Clarice walking away from them and he asked Elizabeth, "Who was that?"

"Oh just a student is all, Hannibal. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger and wanted to be in the FBI."

"Is that so?" he mused and turned his eyes away towards her.

"Yup. Before everything I was very optimistic and thought that I could somehow still be that way being surrounded by darkness…"

"But?"

"But I can't help that my eyes are now starting to see things for what they truly are. It is like before that I was blind and now I am not. I could see nothing, but darkness and then there was light," Elizabeth explained. "It's the hormones, Hannibal…they're making me crazy."

Hannibal nodded. "Perhaps."

They kissed each other passionately as Hannibal's hand slipped into her purse, grabbing the letter and placing it discreetly into his coat pocket as his tongue danced with hers.

"Shouldn't you be resting right now?" Jack asked.

They pulled away from each other and Elizabeth smiled bashfully. "Well, I was, but I really needed to catch up on my work since you decided to let me off for a week."

"You were in critical condition and the doctor advised it."

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "Yeah, yeah."

Jack let a little smile onto his face as he asked, "Well, since you're here. I might as well use you. Can you come with me?"

"Yeah, sure." Elizabeth replied and kissed Hannibal goodbye as she walked with Jack. "What is it, Jack?"

"We found Miriam Lass and I hope that you could talk to her. She admires you."

"Really?" she asked surprised. "That's the second person today that seems to admire me so much."

"You sound shocked."

"I am because I didn't do anything."

Jack looked at her and replied, "You have and you will do great things someday."

Elizabeth snorted. "Not while two serial killers are on the loose, Jack and we have no way of catching them."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I am almost to a 100 REVIEWS! I hoped you liked how I will input Clarice in this story and how The Butcher is now interested, but also Hannibal although they will never meet this early sadly. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	29. Chapter 29

"I knew you'd never stop looking…" Miriam said, her voice raspy and low.

Elizabeth's eyes wondered over to Jack and saw that guilt washed over him because he knew different. She lend her a warm smile and felt some weird connection with Miriam. She knew what it felt like to have some kind of hope and yet feel abandoned all the same.

"Can I see him?" Miriam continued in question.

"Who?" Elizabeth inquired curiously.

"The Ripper," she answered, her eyes looking between Elizabeth and Jack.

"We haven't caught the Ripper," Jack replied.

"He's still-"

"We need your help, Miriam." Elizabeth told her. "You know who he is."

"I don't. Know who he is."

"You found him," Jack insisted.

"I don't remember finding him. He got inside my head."

"He made you forget?" Elizabeth questioned.

She nodded. "Yes. I hear voices floating through my mind everyday."

"What do these voices say?"

"Many things…riddles."

"Riddles?" Jack asked.

Miriam nodded. "Yes. I don't remember all of them, but when I was taken, I tried to remember everything. I tried to remember my surroundings…"

"But he got inside of your head and played around with the certain things you remembered," Elizabeth finished.

"Do you remember being taken?" Jack asked.

"I remember a dream about drowning. Then being awake. And not awake. Being myself, and not myself."

"Did you smell anything? You could've probably know the way he smelled..."

"I remember I could smell salt air. We were by the sea. For weeks. Months. Longer. Days and evenings blurred, I'd wake up to the smell of fresh flowers and the sting of a needle. Then I wasn't afraid. Fear and pain were so far away, on the horizon, but not close. Never close…he did speak a couple of times."

"What did he say to you?" Jack eagerly asked.

Miriam's eyes looked at Elizabeth and then back to Jack as she said, "His voice was distorted purposely. He wasn't exactly talking about me though. He said Agent Graham's name twice I think and said something to himself like…l-like he was trying to figure out something…"

"What was it?"

"Tyger Tyger, burning bright," Miriam recited. "I-I can't remember the rest."

"In the forests of the night. What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?" Elizabeth finished. "The Butcher escaped from prison somehow and brutally killed a good friend of mine. He used William Blake's poem _The Tyger._ His poems are about innocence. Yet this poem was different of course. It talked about the age old meaning of good versus evil. He said that I was the lamb. You know of it?"

Miriam nodded. "Yes, I know of it. I remember that the tyger was a representation of all of the evils that we see in humanity, life and the world around us. The lamb was used as a symbol of innocence and it seems that the tyger was used as a symbol of experience and the 'evils' that come with experience."

"Blake questioned God's actions and God's motive. It baffles him that both good and evil could have been created by the same deity," Elizabeth added. "Whoever this is obviously made some kind of contact with the Ripper."

"And now it seems the Ripper is going to go after the Butcher because he's going after you," Jack realized. "The Ripper purposely let Miriam know about this…why though?"

"To send a message to you," Miriam directed at Elizabeth. "A warning to The Butcher maybe in case he's listening or close by?"

"Perhaps," Elizabeth considered and heard her muffled ringtone coming from her bag. Elizabeth gave them an apologetic smile as she bent down and took out her phone.

She answered it, saying, "Hello, this is Elizabeth Graham speaking."

" _Are you frustrated yet, Agent,"_ an amused voice asked her as she walked out of the office. _"Have you figured out my poems yet, Sweet Lamb?"_

"Are you a copycat?"

" _Lizzie, I think we both know better than that."_

"I killed you."

" _Maybe you're going mad, darling?"_

"No, I'm not. I saw the life leave your eyes."

" _Well, the wonders of modern medicine…able to make the living play dead."_

"You son of a-"

" _Tsk. Tsk."_ He scolded. _"Such vulgar words coming from your mouth."_

"You know me better than anyone, Roger. I can't be tamed. What do you want with Clarice?"

" _She reminds me of you."_

"No, she doesn't…but you find similarity between the two of us," Elizabeth corrected. "It comforts you. You know what I think, Roger? I think you're a masochist. To women especially…probably from the abandonment of your mother before you were even born. I bet you really resented her for that. You go after women at the age of twenty-three because that was the same age your mother left you."

" _Such hostility, Agent. Are you still hurt from our game? I'm sorry, darling, but you were too curious and it made me anxious."_

"You know the Ripper, Roger." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement and when she heard his chuckle through the phone, she knew.

" _You do too except the scales have disappeared from my eyes."_ He replied.

"Who is he?" she firmly asked.

" _I just love the way he used fish hooks specifically, Lizzie. It makes me feel as if it wasn't really his idea. Perhaps he wants you to know who he is. He wants acceptance from you maybe,"_ Roger mused cryptically.

"Cut the crap, Roger," Elizabeth snapped in irritation. "I have very little patience not to kill you for what you did to Meredith. What do you want now?"

" _I want you to solve a riddle, Agent,"_ he mused and she could practically hear his smirk through the phone. _"Can you do that for me, Lizzie?"_

Elizabeth raised an elegant eyebrow and muttered, "What is it?"

 _"I feel your every move, I know your every thought, I'm there from your birth, I'll see how you rot._  
 _I am your shadow, You shall never be free. The answer is what, Agent?"_

"Good-bye, Butcher," Elizabeth said coldly then promptly hung up, almost glaring at the phone in her hand.

 _Why me?_ She thought bitterly. _There are plenty other women out there so why the hell did he choose me…why couldn't he have chosen someone else…is it selfish of me to be thinking about this?_

Elizabeth smelled a familiar perfume and she slowly turned around to see Alana coming towards her. Elizabeth gave her a tight smile, but it never reached her eyes.

"Dr. Bloom, so lovely to see you again face-to-face and not through a window locking lips with my boyfriend," Elizabeth greeted.

"I didn't mean to kiss Hannibal, Lizzie," Alana said sincerely. "I…I was lonely honestly and Hannibal was there beside me. It didn't even last for a second. He gently pushed me away and did not return the kiss. I was drunk and sad about…about…"

"Will," she finished. "Why would you kiss him then? I love him. You almost ruined everything for us, Alana. Don't you understand? I don't know what the future holds for Hannibal and me, but I do want something with him and you almost ruined the only chance that I will probably ever get at happiness with someone I very much love."

"You don't think I know that," Alana retorted. "God! I have hated myself ever since that night. I never meant to hurt anyone. I was drunk. I didn't know what I was doing. Hannibal was nice alright and he was kind to me. I miss that with Will and I would never do anything to hurt either of you and I am and will always be forever sorry, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I have a lot on my mind right now, Alana…I'll talk to you later."

Elizabeth turned and started to walk out of the building quickly with her bag in her hand, not remembering when she took it with her. She sent a quick text to Jack, apologizing for leaving so suddenly and that she didn't feel quite well because of the pregnancy.

The riddle he gave her fluttered through her mind as she walked to her car.

* * *

Frederick didn't do it.

She didn't care that Miriam Lass identified him as being the Ripper. He wouldn't trade Meredith; he was devastated when he heard the news from her. Meredith was someone he could never hurt, she always made him the good guy. She made him be the best version of himself…now that was all gone now. He didn't care about anything other than killing Hannibal.

Will warned her to stay away from Hannibal, but how could she since he was not only her boyfriend, but the father of her child. Nothing could keep him away from his son or daughter. They were apart of him and her.

Elizabeth stared down at the raw and bloody brain that sat in the China bowl in front of her. It was organic and she hoped that it was human…it didn't look human. She read somewhere online that it is supposed to feed the baby nutrients and meat seemed to the right ingredient.

She picked up her fork and stuck it softly inside of the brain, taking a piece as she lifted it up to her mouth…eating it. Elizabeth thought she would be disgusted by it, but she found it okay. She prickled some pepper over the brain and then took another bite. The taste was delicious.

Bite after bite, she kept on eating it without a second thought. It tasted very good and she couldn't stop herself from eating.

Elizabeth sighed and looked down at the empty bloody bowl, wishing she had more to eat. She jumped a little when she felt something inside of her stomach. She looked down and had her hand over her stomach. She smiled brightly when she felt movement.

 _He was moving…wow…he's really in there._

She stood up with the bowl and fork, washing them in the sink with a wide smile still on her face. She wanted to dial Will and tell him everything, but she felt Hannibal should first since he is the father.

Hannibal came walking through the kitchen, appearing to be looking for her specifically. He kissed her lips and asked, "Why are you smiling much more than usual?"

"He moved," she whispered. "He moved, Hannibal."

"What? When?" he asked quickly.

"After I ate actually," she laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because I know it may seem unethical to you perhaps, but I read online that raw meat is actually good for the baby so I ordered a brain, not a human one and I ate it. He moved after I was done," she explained, her smile slowly dropping from her face. "What if he's a psychopath like Patrick Bateman or Norman Bates, Hannibal?! Oh dear God!"

Hannibal shushed her and chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. "If he's anything like you which he will be then he will be a hero…not the villain or serial killer. Besides women eat their placenta when the baby's born."

"What? No, they don't. You're lying to me to make me feel better," she said, her voice muffled by her face being stuffed into his chest.

"I am not. Look it up online. I think it's very brave and considerate of you to be thinking of our child first and feeding him the right nutrients, Elizabeth. I am very proud of you." Hannibal said and then kneeled down. "He knows what he likes and that is meat. That's my boy."

Hannibal kissed her stomach and planted kisses up her body, squeezing her breasts.

"Again?" she asked breathlessly. "Do you ever tire, Hannibal?"

"Not with you, Elizabeth," Hannibal responded and his hands itched up her dress then pulled down her panties. "Red underwear today? You must've somehow known about my intentions."

Elizabeth moaned as his hand went between her thighs, smirking at her wetness. He rubbed her clit as she bit her bottom lip in pleasure. His other hand pulled down her dress and his eyes caught the red lace bra she had on, but it had no padding as he pulled her breasts out of it. His lips wrapped around her nipple and sucked until he let it pop out of his mouth.

Elizabeth pushed Hannibal away and into the counter across from them and kneeled down, undoing his pants. She gave one long lick across his hard cock before engulfing him in her mouth. Hannibal released a moan and gripped her blonde hair in his hand. Her hands rubbed his thighs sensually and then wrapped around his cock as she sucked him quickly.

He pulled her up quickly and kissed her passionately, their teeth crashing into each other's.

"I need to be inside of you," Hannibal growled in her ear and suddenly lifted her up and onto the counter, laying her on her back, and spreading her legs for him. Hannibal rubbed his cock over her clit a couple of times before shoving inside of her.

"Ah," she moaned loudly.

He grabbed her thighs roughly and yanked her closer to him pounding inside of her. Her breasts bounced up and down with every movement he made inside of her. Her warm walls hugged him, familiar with him only.

"Oh, Hannibal," he heard her whisper.

The sound of their skin slapping together filled the room and he bent his head down and savaged her breast, nipping at it and biting it and then sucking it in an animal-like manner that was new to Elizabeth, but it felt too good to stop. Elizabeth suddenly sat up and she looked over her shoulder as Hannibal nuzzled his nose into her neck, still thrusting inside her, but slower than before.

"It's snowing," she realized. _How did I not know this?_

Elizabeth was drawn away from the beautiful snow outside the window as she threw her head back, letting out a loud moan. She could already feel herself about to come and Hannibal felt it too. He started to now pound inside of her, chasing their climax together. Their hands knocked over things onto the ground as they fell to the floor with Elizabeth on top of him. She grabbed his hands and held them on top of her breasts as she bounced up and down on him.

"Oh, yes," she breathed pleasurably and wondered how his shirt and vest were ripped opened and his chest was exposed to her eyes. She smiled down at the wisps of gray hair amongst dark hair on his chest. Sweat prickled their bodies as they came together, grabbing the other's hand tightly. Hannibal let out a growl while she groaned in bliss.

Their chests heaved up and down as she fell on top of him, breathing heavily.

"Damn," she whispered after a long moment of silence between them.

"Yes…damn indeed."

"I swear every time we have sex, it gets more animalistic, rough, and…erotic."

He stroked her hair and pulled out of her slowly. His finger went between her thighs and felt his seed coming slowly out of her. Hannibal kissed her temple and smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously it's not if you're smiling that wide."

"I seem to have given you too much of my semen," he said bluntly and yet boldly.

She looked down and saw that he was telling the truth. "Great. Now I have to take ANOTHER shower."

"I would suggest you don't shower until tomorrow morning," Hannibal suggested as he played with the hem of her dress. She raised an eyebrow and then narrowed her eyes.

"Why? Are you hard again?"

"I will be tonight."

"I am not your sex doll, Hannibal. You can't just fuck me whenever you feel like it," she reminded him.

"I'm insatiable, Elizabeth, it's your fault for bringing this out in me." Hannibal muttered against her neck as he kissed her pulse.

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "Dr. Hannibal Lecter can't seem to keep himself away from me…I think this is an addiction you have."

"No, it's not," he protested as he kissed her lips. "It's a disease all men have with you."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! 100 REVIEWS! OH MY FREAKING GOD! This really means a lot to me that you guys seem to really liking this story and my ideas for it so here's to more chapters even after the show ending. I have a lot planned to which I am very excited for and you will. You guys are awesome so keep reviewing and I'll keep updating.**

 **Hoped you guys liked the brain and lemony goodness parts of the story. Is Elizabeth changing because of the baby inside of her or is it her own doing? She is slowly becoming darker and darker as we go further into the story. Hannibal will have an effect on her that is drastic and you all just read her say that she is very much willing to kill Roger and literally has no patience with others. All rights to that riddle go to The Riddler of course. Don't hate me. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	30. Chapter 30

Brian and Jimmy eyed Elizabeth as she walked through the doors of the morgue.

"What?" she asked them in confusion. She looked down at her dress which was a dark red business pencil V-neckline dress with black pumps.

"Nothing," Jimmy said.

"Well, not nothing," Brian disagreed quickly. "Your stomach…is…bigger. No offense."

Elizabeth looked down at her stomach and saw that the bump where her unborn child lied was bigger. She nodded and replied, "Yes it is because I'm pregnant, you guys."

"What?!" They yelled simultaneously.

She blinked.

"When did this happen?" Jimmy asked loudly.

"Yeah and where were we?" Brian agreed.

"How should I know? But you guys should've been really paying attention to Hannibal and I since we always talk about our child and the fact that there is a framed sonogram on my desk."

"We're not nosy people Jimmy and I," Brian replied. "But we're your friends and we would've liked to know that you are pregnant."

"Why?"

"So that I could make him or her an FBI badge or something or make sure they have no diseases," Brian responded.

Elizabeth chuckled as she shook her head, walking over to them. "Thank you, you guys. I'm sorry that I didn't share our news with you guys, but things have been hectic and I know from experience that stress is bad for the both of us. I want him to be as healthy as possible when he claws his way out of me."

"Great interpretation of birth," Jimmy joked.

Elizabeth hugged the boys in her arms. "He's gonna have now three great uncles. Uncle Willy, Uncle Bri, and Uncle Jim."

"You are not letting him call us by that," Jimmy playfully warned.

"So it's a boy," Brian inquired.

Elizabeth shrugged. "There is more of a chance it is a boy, but hey, a girl could be our first child."

"What is his name? Or her name?"

"We haven't decided on either of them, but my suggestion for a boy is the name Philip." Elizabeth said, smiling widely.

"Philip Lecter-well, if you marry Hannibal that is then it's Philip Graham Lecter."

"No, remember Klaus," Brian corrected. "Philip Adam Graham Lecter."

Elizabeth scowled. "No, don't add that in there. He already has two last names."

"Will you two get married?" Jimmy asked.

Elizabeth shrugged lightly. "I don't know. Time will tell I guess."

"You two make a cute couple. You guys actually look well together. Yin to Yang," Brian replied. "Same style sense now actually."

"Where is Hannibal?" Elizabeth asked them.

"Coming this way actually," Jimmy mused.

Elizabeth turned and smiled at Hannibal who bent down and kissed her lips. "Hey."

"Hello and I have a gift for you."

"Oh, what is it?"

"It's food."

"Thank you so much," she sighed in happiness and hugged him. "I am so hungry."

Hannibal chuckled in shock. "I could tell by how much you ate at breakfast this morning…and your texts which had some sort of relation to food gave you away."

A coy smile came onto her face as she grabbed the bag of food from his hands. "Thank you, the man I love."

"Your welcome, darling."

Elizabeth turned quickly and started to walk to her office where she devoured the food he bought for her down.

"This is a frightening image," Will mused with a disgusted look on his face.

She gulped down the piece of food in her throat. "What? I am eating for two now. I have an excuse to eat everything in sight."

"You can't use that excuse every time someone questions your actions."

"Well, Hannibal seems to love my new appetite. I practically eat everything in site especially meat. My child seems to love meat," Elizabeth mused. "Hannibal wants to name our son something else."

"Something tells me you will persuade him to your side," Will reminded her as he examined her food.

"You can't have any," Elizabeth told him, her voice muffled by the amount of food in her mouth. "It's for me and the baby."

"You have a deadly sin and that sin is named Gluttony," Will laughed.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and continued to eat, stopping for a moment. She squealed in delight as she grabbed her brother's hand and placed it over her stomach.

"Do you feel that?!"

"It feels like an alien," Will said. "No offense."

"Eh, he's my little Alien." She chuckled. "He's kicking or moving…or both."

"My nephew is going to be a handful," Will commented.

"If he's anything like me, he's gonna be loud." She added with a smirk.

"Oh, dear…you're going to be screwed," Will laughed.

"I noticed how you keep on not including Hannibal whenever it comes to the future of our child," Elizabeth told him. "I know you dislike him, but he's going to be in our lives forever, Will."

"Lizzie-"

"No," she immediately interrupted him. "I don't want to start a fight with you, Will, but I am going to tell you this once and that's it then I'll shut up forever. Hannibal is going to be in our lives forever whether we're together or separated. This is his son too and he's not going to sit around and let us cut him out of his life. He will fight for him."

"If you love him so much then why didn't you say yes to his proposal or better yet, why aren't you two living together?" Will questioned.

Elizabeth bit her lip and said, "I don't know."

"Yes, you do. You're scared of what you may find once you take a peek inside. Your curiosity always gets the best of you," Will reminded her. "You don't believe him."

She looked away from him and stood up, putting as much distance between them as possible. "I have no idea what you're"

"Don't even play that card with me, Lizzie. I know you're smarter than that. You can see through people. Before with Hannibal, everything was new and different, you were blind to certain things. But something changed for you along the way. Someone said something to you…who was it?"

Elizabeth gulped nervously. "I need to talk to Hannibal about a case-Meredith's case. The Butcher case."

Elizabeth left her office as quickly as possible, walking out of the FBI building as well. Her phone rang in her bag and she answered, "How did you get this number?"

" _Cricket, stop being so mean all the time. I said my apologies to you already,"_ Klaus said.

"What do you want?"

" _So,"_ he drawled out. _"The Butcher is still around I see."_

"What do you know, Klaus?"

" _I know where he is."_

She froze and hurried into a private corner where people wouldn't eavesdrop on the conversation. "Where is he? And how do you know this?"

" _I saw on the news and heard about what he did to your friend, Cricket. I am sorry about that; I know that you two were close_."

"Yeah, thanks I guess," she said awkwardly. "Get to the point. Where. Is. He."

" _I'm staring right at him actually,"_ he chuckled mirthlessly.

Time seemed to stand still around her as her heart beat furiously in her chest. "What? Please tell me that you're joking with me right now."

" _No, I am as serious as a heart attack, Elizabeth,"_ Klaus said sternly. _"Here…I think he wants to talk to you."_

"What? Klaus?!"

" _Hey there, Lizzie,"_ Roger's amused voice came through the phone.

"What do you want with Klaus? First me. Then Meredith. Next Clarice. Now it's Klaus…what game are you playing at, Roger? What do you get out of all of this, huh?!"

He sighed heavily. _"You'll know soon enough. Though I think that we need to talk."_

"We are talking. Now where the fuck is my father?!"

" _He's…he's, um, tied up at the moment. Besides talking through the phone is so 21_ _st_ _century and it's like people these don't send letters to each other anyone or bother to have any type of confrontation,"_ Roger replied in a frustrated and annoyed voice.

"So talk now."

" _We need to talk, Lizzie, face-to-face,"_ Roger told her firmly.

"I don't trust your words since I don't know what you're up to."

" _You'll never know until you try, Lizzie."_ He teased. _"Solve the riddle I gave you and then you'll find me."_

"Why should I? For all I know, it could be a trap to kill me," Elizabeth questioned.

" _Well,"_ he drawled out dramatically. _"If you want to see Papa Klaus alive then you have to meet me…if not, well, you know what you'll find in your bed tomorrow night."_

Elizabeth scoffed. "You son of a bitch. I can't believe you right now. I have never hated anymore than I do you right in this very moment."

" _You and I both know that I will kill Klaus without a second thought about it if you stand me up,"_ he growled at her.

"What do you want? Why are you even doing this?" She said softly, revealing a vulnerability inside of her that he was only able to bring out of her.

" _Uh-ah, that's cheating, Lizzie. I feel your every move, I know your every thought, I'm there from your birth, I'll see how you rot. I am your shadow, You shall never be free. The answer is what, Agent? Find me with the riddle. After all, you know me better than anyone just. Like. I. Know. You."_

"Go. Fuck. Yourself," she mocked back at him before hanging up, her chest heaving up and down.

She rubbed her temples, her mind again going through all the different places that they could be at. She knew that she couldn't go to her team about this since she knew that that would only anger Roger even more. Elizabeth nibbled her bottom lip and rubbed her growing bump.

"We'll be okay," she whispered as she walked along the sidewalk.

Elizabeth felt him move inside of her again and this made her smile in the end.

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME SO KEEP REVIEWING AND I will keep updating! I hoped you guys liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	31. Chapter 31

The riddle flooded through her mind as she bought a plane ticket at the airport.

"United Kingdom, please." Elizabeth said to the woman.

"Alright, here you go. First class, Miss Graham. Have a terrific flight!"

Elizabeth waited as the time passed by for her flight. She watched everyone scurry all around her for different things. She pressed the number on her phone held it to her ear.

" _Elizabeth, where are you?"_ Hannibal asked worriedly.

"Something's happened with my father that I need to take care of, Hannibal."

There was pause before Hannibal replied, _"You don't owe that man anything. Come home immediately please. For the sake of our child, Lizzie, please…"_

"I know we have a complicated history together and even though my gut is telling me that it's not a good idea to go…my heart is telling me that he's still my father and I can't let an innocent die. What kind of person would I be, Hannibal if I just walked away from someone who needs my help?"

" _A good mother,"_ he answered coldly which surprised her since he was usually so polite and warm to her. His attitude and tone of voice seemed to change in that moment. _"Elizabeth, he's hurt you more times than you think and yet you wish to risk our child's life-your life as well to save him."_

"You make it sound like I'm a horrible person for doing this," she snapped angrily.

" _You're being selfish is what I'm saying you are, Elizabeth,"_ Hannibal barked at her. _"You're risking our son's life!"_

"Is that all you care about?! What about my father's life?! An innocent?!"

" _You're being a hypocrite right now. Just before he came, you told me how much you hated the man and wouldn't have cared if he were dead,"_ he reminded.

"He's still family. He's blood. Will would do the same actually for our mother even though he knows how much I despise her. Sometimes good counters out the bad, Hannibal. I did have good memories with him and yes, I love him," she confessed furiously. "I don't loving him. I hate myself for feeling this way most of the time, but I can't help it that I see the good in everyone even after all the bad that they've done and right now he's been kidnapped by someone who knows all of this. Someone who managed to fool even me"

" _The Butcher has him?"_

She didn't answer him, but he knew her silence was his answer.

" _Don't you even think about going in there alone-"_

"I'll see you soon, Hannibal," she quickly said. "I love you."

Elizabeth hung up the phone quickly, knowing that this would definitely anger Hannibal more than she could've ever realized. Elizabeth heard the speaker, saying that her flight was now boarding. She stood up with her carry-on bag and walked over to the gate, handing her ticket to the attendant. She went inside, almost regretting her decision to go since she knew that it was a trap for her specifically.

As she sat down in her seat, she stared out the window, sighing as she let her memories consume her thoughts. She held her stomach protectively in her hands as her eyes closed completely.

 **~BAYARD, UK THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO~**

Elizabeth Graham jogged through the pathways of the park. Her mind had been completely on The Butcher case. _All those women…_ she thought sadly _. Dead…why though?_

 _Why were they so important to kill?_

 _What does he want?_

Scotland Yard has issued a curfew for everyone which was nine in the evening. Most complied with it, but there were the ones were very resistant.

Elizabeth had been so in the zone that she didn't see where she was going and slammed into someone causing them both to fall onto the ground. They groaned in pain as they sat up.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled with a light chuckle. "I didn't see where I was going."

"No," he replied. "It's actually my fault. I was listening to an audio book and got sucked into the story…"

She laughed as she stood up with the help of his hand. "What's the book?"

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-"

"Oh God, I love that book. It's actually one of Top Five Favorite books."

"Really?" he asked in excitement. "Me too! My family thinks I'm weird because I have a top ten list."

"My brother thinks the same," she chuckled in response. "I love that book as much as I love re-reading The Great Gatsby."

"Another classic," he mused. "We seem to have a lot in common, beautiful woman who's name I don't know yet."

"Yet," Elizabeth questioned in amusement. "You're that sure of yourself."

"Not really…but with you…what can I say you bring out the best in me?" He joked and held out his hand in greeting. "Hello. I'm Roger Kane."

Elizabeth shook his hand. "Elizabeth Graham, but you can call me Lizzie."

"Okay, Lizzie."

"Okay then, Roger," she drawled out. "I have to go. It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah you too, Lizzie. Too bad I don't have a way to give you my number or something," he said charmingly.

"Hey, if we are to meet again then maybe fate will surely tell us," she suggested with a small smile.

"Fate?" He questioned. "You don't really believe in that, do you?"

"If we meet again," she started. "Then yes. I do."

Elizabeth turned around and jogged away, laughing a little.

The smile on Roger's face disappeared once he turned his back on her. He walked, not ran back towards his parked car on the street. Once he sat inside of his car, he started to laugh suddenly. His laugh sounded evil, almost mocking in a way.

 _This is just too easy._

 **~TWO YEARS LATER~**

Elizabeth's eyes peeled open, she winced in pain as she moved her body around or at least tried to. She realized that she was tied to a bed-his bed. She jumped back a little as she saw him staring down at her.

"Well," he said cheerfully. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

"You bastard," she muttered. "I should've known that it was you. You're The Butcher, aren't you?!"

He slowly clapped and smirked. "Finally! Good job, detective."

He walked away from her and around the bedroom as he continued, "You know for a minute there, I actually thought that you were going to catch me…that you were going to kill me, BUT then you hesitated! I wondered why then I realized it is because you LOVE me! Me! Aw, don't look so angry, detective, you can't help it. Let's face it though, we don't get to choose who we love."

"Did you ever love me? Or was it all a lie?"

He stared into her eyes as he asked, "Do you want me to lie to you or tell you the truth?"

"Lie to me."

Roger smiled. "It was all a lie."

"You fucking prick!" she shouted in rage. "When I get free and trust me, I will escape, I am going to kill you slowly."

"I would like to see you try."

"You know me, Roger," she reminded him. "I'm tenacious."

"Oh, I know that," he purred and she stiffened when he crawled on top of her, rubbing his hands all over her body. "I always liked it when we fucked, Elizabeth. You were surprisingly extremely good at it. You've got one hell of a body on you, I'll give you that."

"Shut up," she growled lowly.

She whimpered when he roughly grabbed her breast. She felt him harden against her thigh. She watched as he ripped her shirt and jeans in half. Elizabeth bit her lip to stop herself from screaming when he tore a blade through her skin from her ribs to her navel.

"Come on, baby, scream for me," he whispered in her ear.

"Get off me! Stop!"

"I'm going to fuck you bloody." He growled in pleasure, rubbing himself against her.

Blood down from her stomach and into the bed. She froze when she felt the heel of her foot above the ropes. _It wasn't tight enough._ She quickly yanked it free and bought her knee between his legs. He groaned in pain as he fell beside her on the bed. Elizabeth used her heel again and slammed it in his stomach and then into his throat causing him to fall over onto the floor.

Elizabeth yanked her limbs and used her teeth to untie the knot. She saw him forcing his body to stand up. Just as he stood up, her hand barely made it out of the ropes and she punched him in the throat and broke his nose right after.

He fell back onto the floor as she quickly untied her wrist and other ankle, throwing the ropes aside in disgust. Elizabeth limped over to him, her ankle broken from when he twisted it when running away from him. She brought her good foot down into his stomach and knocked him out unconscious. She padded him down for a cell phone and found one in his pocket.

Elizabeth called the police and said, "Hello, this is Detective Elizabeth Graham. I need Scotland Yard please…tell them that I've just caught The Bayard Butcher."

She looked up into the corner and smirked when she saw a camera.

"How do you know?" Her partner, Dan Sparks asked once he got to Roger's house.

"Cause he confessed to me on camera," she told him and pointed to the corner.

Dan smiled and said to the men who were handcuffing Roger, "Looks like the good guys win this round, boys!"

They all cheered since some of those women were good friends of the officers. Roger seemed to attack people others knew very well and people who were filled with kindness. _They were good people,_ she thought. _They didn't deserve what he did to them._

As the officers dragged Roger out, he shot up to his feet, getting in Elizabeth's face as he promised her, "When you think you are happy and safe, I'll be there to bring you down. Your happiness will turn into ashes in your mouth and I take away all that you hold dear to you, Elizabeth Graham. Everywhere you go, I'll be there and you want to know why? Because it is me and I am who you NEVER be free from!"

Roger started to laugh hysterically as they dragged him away from her when he shouted to her, "Remember, Lizzie! REMEMBER ME! HAHAHAHAHA!"

 **~PRESENT~**

Elizabeth tore open the door and walked inside of the abandoned factory he led her to.

She walked forward as she saw two bodies hanging with their wrists tied with chains around them. _He learned from his mistakes,_ she thought.

A spotlight blared on the two bodies and Elizabeth saw Klaus and Clarice hanging like rag dolls above a large meat grinder. She took a step forward towards them.

"Ah-uh," Roger's voice echoed all around her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?" she called out to him.

"Have you figured out the riddle?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have. You're very narcissistic!"

"So, tell me…what is the answer?"

"The Tyger poem is about you and me…our relationship. Good versus Evil," Elizabeth answered confidently. "The riddle's answer is you. I'll never be free of you even after I killed you or I thought I had, you still plagued my thoughts. You were like my shadow…always watching me wherever I went."

She heard him laugh and he replied, "You did remember me, Elizabeth."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	32. Chapter 32

"You're hardly one to forget so I don't know how one would so easily forget you," Elizabeth replied as she walked further into the factory room like reminded her of a scene out of a horror film. "Have you been watching too many horror movies lately? This scene looks a lot like a really bad and cheap horror film."

"I would watch your mouth, Lizzie," he threatened.

Clarice whimpered as she dropped down a little into the grinder. Elizabeth shrugged.

"Go ahead," she replied. "Drop them. They have no meaning to my life. My life won't change if they're dead. I'll still have Hannibal and Will. I don't see how you've hurt me."

Elizabeth watched as Roger came from behind a control center, striding towards. "What do you mean that you don't care?"

Elizabeth didn't know how she did it…perhaps it was possible because of her hormones, but she somehow managed not to care anymore. It's like she turned it off.

"I. Don't. Care." She told him slowly and glanced at the two people over the grinder. "Go ahead. Put them in the grinder. Two more names to add to your list. You wanted Clarice because she's like me and she really holds no value when you think about it…so kill her. See, what happens?"

Roger eyed her and her phone rang. She looked down to see that it was Will calling her; she ignored the call, silencing her phone. "Anyways, is this all you wanted me here for? Because I have a life to get back to and I'm done wasting it on you, Roger."

Elizabeth turned and started to walk away from him. She heard him following her, saying, "You can't just walk away. I killed Meredith, a woman who like a sister to you, you cried for days!"

"And? Is that supposed to mean something to me? I'm over it." Elizabeth told, still walking away from him.

"YES!"

"Well," she drawled out. "It doesn't."

Roger suddenly grabbed her neck, pulling her back towards him. "Okay so what would you do if I were to gut your stomach open and rip out your precious child?"

"I can make another one."

Roger laughed as she continued, "And Hannibal would be furious with you, he loves this child…I've never seen him angry…I'm curious to see what would happen though, wouldn't you?"

Roger's laughter died out and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at that. _Is he scared of Hannibal? Why? How?_

"Why are you so scared suddenly?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are acting this way? You're acting like…like…"

"Like what, Roger? I'm hormonal," Elizabeth mused. "You could say I'm turning into a butterfly…or maybe a black widow."

"Your son is becoming more like his father," Roger laughed.

"What do you want, Roger," she asked, ignoring his question.

Roger breathed heavily and she tensed when his hand touched her growing bump which was now nineteen weeks. He looked into her eyes and then suddenly everything went black as he knocked her out.

* * *

Hannibal already knew where Elizabeth was and he tried to calm himself as he took a plane ride over there. He managed to plant a GPS into her phone without noticing and he knew that she would be angry with him if she ever found out, but ever since that night when she thought he was cheating on her with Alana and then up and left with him with his child, Hannibal felt worried.

The feeling was very unfamiliar to Hannibal since if something didn't go his way exactly then there would a back-up plan. Elizabeth was a weakness he didn't like to have, but yet it was nice to have someone love you.

 _Except she doesn't love the ripper,_ a voice inside of his head reminded him over and over again. _She loves Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the psychiatrist, not The Chesapeake Ripper especially after all that you've done to her, how could she love you?_

Hannibal shook his head and followed the map which led to her whereabouts. He knitted his eyebrows in confusion as he saw that it was an abandoned factory site in the middle of nowhere.

 _No one can't hear their screams;_ he thought suddenly and pressed his foot more on the gas pedal.

* * *

Elizabeth's eyes peeled open and saw that she was tied to a lounge chair in a room that frightened her to her core. A scream was stuck in her throat as she glanced around her, seeing pictures of her everywhere.

So many, many pictures, she thought.

She saw that her favorite flowers were all around her like she was being praised. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she saw every photo which had her in it. There were a couple of photos of her sonograms. Elizabeth also saw that there were photos of Hannibal scratched out and of her naked in Hannibal's house along with her own.

The most disturbing one was of the bunch was Elizabeth and Hannibal in bed together as they made love to each other, but what was really frightening was how close it seemed to be to their bed.

The door opened and Roger walked in. "Oh, good, you're awake. I've brought some food for you. You need to eat…you know because of the baby and all."

She stared at him as he put the tray down beside her. "What? What is all of this?"

"Oh, well, I wanted to make sure you were alright especially after Hannibal and all those other men after me of course," he said simply.

"You don't approve of Hannibal…and Meredith, right?" She asked carefully.

"They don't deserve you, Lizzie," he whispered. "Neither did Clarice or Klaus. They've treated you poorly, but don't worry because after I get rid of them then I'll go for Alana Bloom since she kissed Hannibal and hurt you."

Elizabeth put it all together. "So that's why you've been like this…to protect me?"

"Also to get your attention."

"But you were so angry."

"Well, you tried to kill me," he reminded her. "Of course I was furious that you tried to get rid of me."

"I'm sorry," she said meekly.

Roger nodded and scooted closer. "At first, it was all a game to me when I met you and then I fell in love with you, it wasn't a lie, Elizabeth and now that I'm out and you're here…and pregnant too! We can start a new life right here and now."

"What are you gonna do?" Elizabeth asked softly.

"Well, we're going to get married so that our child won't be a bastard."

"Our child?"

He nodded and told her, "Hannibal doesn't deserve to be the father…especially after what I've found out about your boyfriend."

"What is it?"

Roger opened his mouth to answer and then they head clanking outside. "I'll be right back."

Roger stood up and left her alone in the room. Elizabeth kept on struggling to get out of the ropes and whimpered since she saw that he had tightened them, remembering his mistake from before.

Roger came running back in through the door, cutting open her ropes. "Come on, we have to go."

"Why?!"

"He's here. I don't know how, but he is."

"Who?! Roger, who?!"

"The Chesapeake Ripper," he answered as they ran down a hall.

"Why is he even here?"

"For you of course," he answered.

They traveled down to some sort of basement and went down many flights of stairs. Elizabeth screamed out in pain and held in stomach.

"What's wrong?"

"Something's wrong with the baby," she whispered in pain.

Roger held her as she fell to the ground, holding her stomach in her hands. "Come on. We don't have time."

Elizabeth's hand reached out behind her as she gripped her stomach, finding pipe. She swung it over, hitting Roger over the head.

Elizabeth quickly stood up and ran as fast as she could back from the way they came. She breathed heavily as she heard footsteps behind her, running after her.

She was back where she came when she tripped on something, falling on her back. She scooted away as she heard Roger scream in the background. Elizabeth found Clarice and Klaus unconscious on the ground. She checked for pulses and let out a sigh of relief when she found them.

Elizabeth gasped when she saw a dark silhouette figure in front of her, but far enough to where she couldn't see their face.

"Ripper, yes?" Elizabeth asked curiously. "You saved me…why?"

She stiffened when he took a step closer and then she watched as Roger's head suddenly rolled out of the darkness towards her.

Elizabeth backed away slowly and stood up. "Who the hell are you?"

They didn't answer her.

"What do you want from me?!"

They came closer and his black glove came out of the darkness with a rose in his hand, setting it down on the floor before backing away and disappearing.

She quickly went over the rose and picked it up. Elizabeth went over to the furnace, lighting it up. She stared down at the rose and then threw it into the fire, watching as it turned into black and started to crumple up. She jumped as she heard police sirens and then someone called her name.

The doors slammed open as the SWAT team swarmed in through the doors. Hannibal came running through them as well, running towards her.

"Oh, Hannibal," she sighed as they embraced each other.

"Elizabeth," he whispered. "Are you alright? Is the baby alright?"

"We're both fine," Elizabeth replied, nodding and then she kissed him. "I'm okay. I'm so sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. I love you so much."

Hannibal kissed her passionately and responded, "I know. Let's go home, okay?"

"Okay, but first we've got to get my father and Clarice to a hospital," she reminded him.

Hannibal held her tightly in his arms as she whispered, "I'm so glad you found. How did you find me-you know what? I don't care right now. I'm just so happy that you did."

"Me too."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! So Roger is officially gone, courtesy of the Ripper of course, Hannibal's got to protect his girl. Elizabeth was so close into finding out who The Ripper was… I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	33. Chapter 33

"That's weird," Dr. Sheppard murmured as she looked into the screen.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked worriedly as her hand gripped Hannibal's as she lied down on the table in the doctor's office.

"Well, I don't want to frighten the both of you, but there happens to be two babies inside of the womb," Dr. Sheppard informed them.

Elizabeth and Hannibal froze as they both questioned, "What?!"

"Two," Elizabeth questioned as she sat up a little on the table. "I-I don't understand. You said that there was only one baby."

"No, I said that I didn't know about its gender, this is probably why because it is two instead. One of them is much larger and stronger than the other, almost as if it were hiding the weaker child." She told them carefully.

"I don't like the look on your face," Elizabeth said softly.

Dr. Sheppard turned the screen over to them. "The reason why I didn't hear the other heartbeat was because the baby died and somehow the other baby was over it on the screen, but now…it moved over."

Silence filled the room and Elizabeth suddenly let out a sob as she covered her face with her hand.

"I'll leave you both alone, but we need to perform a c-section to get the baby out so that the nutrients can go to the other baby." Dr. Sheppard told them.

"Was it a boy or girl," Hannibal asked breathlessly.

"It was a girl," she answered and then left the couple in the room together.

Elizabeth gripped Hannibal closer to her as she cried. Hannibal shed tears as well for their daughter and shushed her cries. "I'm here. It's alright."

"No, it's not," she cried. "She's been dead inside of me for weeks, Hannibal and no one noticed. No one!"

"You can't blame yourself. No one can," Hannibal reminded her. "Sometimes things happen and this is one of those things. It's life and we can't let this weaken us. At least, our other child is still alive and healthy."

Elizabeth nodded. "We need some kind of funeral or something for her. She needs to be remembered. Promise me that you won't leave my side when I have to go into surgery…"

Hannibal immediately nodded. "Don't worry. I will. Penelope won't be forgotten."

"Penelope," she repeated. "I like that name for her."

"I was reading The Odyssey and thought that Odysseus's faithful wife had such a beautiful name. It suited her at the time," Hannibal explained.

"So I guess we're going to name our children after literature characters, huh?"

Hannibal nodded and kissed her forehead, holding each other closer than ever.

"Dorian, Ichabod, D'Artagnan, Athos, Vlad, Abel, Jay, or Perseus," Hannibal suggested, smirking a little.

* * *

Elizabeth gave a warm smile to Klaus as he opened his eyes. "Hey there, Satan."

Klaus chuckled then winced in pain. "Don't make me laugh, Cricket."

She shook her head and held his hand. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I knew that you would save the day," Klaus informed her as he smirked at her.

Elizabeth took out a photo from her purse. "I wanted you to have this."

Klaus took the sonogram in his hands. "Aw…you're getting sentimental with me."

She rolled her eyes and pointed a threatening finger at him. "When you were kidnapped, I honestly didn't know how I felt about you dying. I know that I felt sad and I had major anxiety to save you. I was scared."

"Guess you actually care about me after all, huh?"

"Don't sound so smug about it."

"Oh, I'm not being smug. This is my happy face," He admitted, still smiling. "So this is my grandson…"

Klaus's smile slowly turned into a frown which made Elizabeth question, "Why do you look sad about seeing your first grandchild?"

"Oh, it's not that. I'm happy about this, I am. I'm happy that you trust me enough to share these special moments with me even after everything," Klaus told her softly. "There is something that I need to tell you."

Elizabeth whined in frustration. "What is it now?"

"It's about Bedelia." Klaus answered. "She told me something and I didn't believe her when she told me…until Roger told me the same thing. He had photos, Lizzie."

Elizabeth's eyebrows knitted in confusion and cautiously looked over to the machine where his heart rate beeped quicker. "Klaus, calm down. Your heart is beating faster."

"There is something about Hannibal," he gasped as his chest heaved up and down.

"Klaus-"

Klaus gripped her hand, pulling her closer to him. "I don't have much time so listen carefully."

"Why?" She asked worriedly. "What's wrong? The doctor told me"

"I am fine. I need to tell you that Hannibal is not who you think he is," he told her breathlessly.

Elizabeth shook her head and slammed the door shut. "No. I can't hear this story all over again. I thought that we were done with this shit. I'm pregnant for god's sake. With Hannibal's child. Do you really think I want to hear about how Hannibal, the man I love is The Chesapeake Ripper?!"

"He is though," Klaus insisted. "How did you know?"

"Oh, come on," she drawled out. "It's not that hard to put together especially when your brother was in jail giving you hints. Not to mention that the fact that Bedelia was in on it too probably since she told me how much we looked alike. Hannibal is not a killer."

"He is," he whispered. "Roger had a photo, but chances are that you won't find it because Hannibal took it."

"Do you know what horrible things The Ripper has done to me?"

"Yes, I do. Back when you barely knew Hannibal and the Ripper considered you a threat yes?"

Elizabeth was silent as he continued, "Then the Ripper's tactics started to change towards you once you kissed Hannibal. Then you were with him so he stopped. What happened next? You broke up with him, didn't want a relationship-basically rejected him. The Ripper started to kill again. You apologized to Hannibal and make everything okay then he stops again. You tell him that you're with child-his child, his legacy so he does everything in his power to protect the both of you. He fell in love with you, Elizabeth. Why do you think that we haven't gotten any murders lately? It all fits into the timeline of when you met Hannibal Lecter."

Elizabeth pursed her lips and couldn't form some kind of response which made Klaus nod at her. "I'm right, aren't I? It all fits into the puzzle. The Ripper has always had an obsession with you and you know it, he's always been close to you so why not get emotionally close to you? Why not save you from the man who was gonna take away his family? Hannibal has a history of manipulating his patients; Will is an example of it and so many others. Has there ever been a time when you almost lost your mind?"

Elizabeth froze and stared at Klaus with a blank expression as she came forward.

"This conversation doesn't leave this room, Klaus, no one can know. Not even Will, it'll just set him back since he's recovering finally. I can't…I don't have the strength to hear this anymore especially after everything I've just went through."

"You can't ignore this forever. I get that he's the love of life, but eventually you have to open your eyes to what's in front of you, Cricket," Klaus replied lowly. "I know what you're going through and that you're tired of hearing all of this from the people you love. I've heard it all too when I met your mother. They told me that she was bad news; hell her family told her that I was bad news. You're mother wasn't a good person and I didn't want to believe that. I wanted to believe that you actually loved us."

"What changed?"

"I met fucking Graham is what changed. He popped up on my doorstep and told me about his life. She had a second life and she left them to start a new one with me. My older brother told me that I should leave her and take you with me, but I didn't listen. Then when I confronted her about it, the next morning all of her things were gone. She didn't even leave a note. I was so devastated and you know the rest."

"Yeah. You left me alone. I was lucky that the Graham's found out and took me in. You and that woman were made for each other," Elizabeth said angrily. "I can't do this right now because I can't be stressed out especially after…I need to think of my son first before anything, Hannibal included."

"You have to admit though that it all seems a bit coincidental, Cricket. Everything fits and makes sense; he fits your profile of The Ripper, right?"

"I have to go," she muttered.

As Elizabeth walked out of the hospital, she receives a call from Jack, answering it, "Hello, Jack. I know I'm late. I had to see Klaus"

"Elizabeth. At the TattleCrime offices, a burning body in a wheelchair rolled into the parking garage, and a dental analysis confirms it is Freddie Lounds," Jack told her.

"Oh my God…is it the Ripper," she dared to ask.

"No, it doesn't look like it."

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. He's been dormant lately which worries me."

"Well, didn't you say he made an appearance when you were kidnapped at the factory?"

"Yes, he gave me a flower."

"Roger was obsessed with your baby so why would the Ripper keep it alive? I mean if he really wanted to make you miserable and torture, why not take the thing you love most in the world like all of his other trophies?" Jack asked in confusion.

 _Unless it was his child,_ Elizabeth thought suddenly.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Listen, I'll come right away to the office, but first…there's something I have to do so I'll talk to you later, Jack. Bye."

Elizabeth hung up and got inside of her car, driving towards Hannibal's office like a speed demon. Her hands tightened onto the wheel as she slowly shook her head.

 _No, it can't be Hannibal. Not again. It's not Hannibal. No, it's not Hannibal._

The conversation with Klaus replayed in her mind over and over again.

Then everything clicked.

Memories came flooding inside of her while chaos seemed to spread its wings as she thought about the pills Hannibal gave her. It made her hallucinate the next day and she killed someone thus calling Hannibal.

 _Oh my God, he wanted to break me and he knows everything. Every secret. He knows. He broke me in the end._

 _He stopped when I told him that I was pregnant. He wanted…it all makes sense. How could I have been so blind to not recognize the sighs? I'm a profiler, but he knew my weak spots. Hannibal knew everything about me. He bumped into me the first day we met…was it intentional? It was all a game to him and he won. He fooled me. He made me love him._

 _The Ripper made me love him. He fooled me twice._

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE STILL SUPER AWESOME AS ALWAYS! So Elizabeth finally finds out about Hannibal! I made this a little earlier than expected since I was planning on making her find out in the season finale episode which is the chapter after the next one then we get to season three which I have so many plans for!**

 **Elizabeth doesn't how to feel about everything because there are two Hannibals that she knows: The Chesapeake Ripper and Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the man she fell in love with. I think we all remember that Elizabeth is no stranger to darkness, much like Will.**

 **I'm sorry for the cliffhanger once again, but it's because I felt that this was a really good place to end. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	34. Chapter 34

She pulled up next to the sidewalk, sitting in her car for a moment before getting out of the car as she cocked her gun just in case. Elizabeth walked up the steps, her face void of emotion as she barged into his office.

Hannibal's head shot up from the papers that he was looking at. "Elizabeth-"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to shout at him and interrogate him, but then she remembered who exactly she was talking to.

"What is it?" Hannibal questioned.

She gave him a soft smile and kissed him. "Nothing. I-I just had this bad feeling that you might be in trouble."

Hannibal rubbed her growing bump, returning the warm smile. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. Until he starts to use my bladder as a squeeze toy. I'm still a little shaken up from the surgery to get her out," Elizabeth replied.

"Have you chosen a cemetery yet?"

She shook her head. "Have _you_ chosen a coffin yet?"

Hannibal chuckled softly. "I guess we're both running from the inevitable truth."

"Perhaps," she murmured. "I sometimes wonder what life would be like if Penelope was still alive. We'd probably be having combined cribs and strollers."

"Though now we have our son to worry about," Hannibal reminded her. "I would've been happy either way."

"I'm sorry for barging in on you," she forced out to say. "I'm a control freak and all that. I have to go work on Freddie Lounds case."

"Alright. I love you."

"Yeah. Me too," she responded then kissed him on the cheek and walked out of the office as Hannibal eyed her curiously.

Elizabeth was walking down the steps when she stopped as she saw a man in an expensive suit standing in the gate. He pointed a finger at her. "You must be the mysterious beautiful woman whose picture is placed proudly onto Dr. Lecter's desk."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Snooping in other people's business especially your own sister's isn't nice, Mr…?"

"Verger. Mason Verger, but you already knew that, Agent Graham, sister to Will Graham. Another patient of Dr. Lecter's."

"Someone's been doing his homework," she commented as they walked closer to each other. "Though I think that our first meeting isn't exactly a coincidence, Mr. Verger."

He chuckled. "I just had to know who you were…since you are a valuable person in the doctor's life. I pay him good money."

"What he does in his personal life is none of your business," she snapped sharply, surprising herself as she kept on reminding herself that Hannibal was The Ripper who ruined her life and the only good thing that came out of it was the unborn baby sleeping inside of her.

"Oh, but I think it is when I'm paying him," he replied calmly.

There was something off about this man and Elizabeth examined him more closely. She started to doubt herself since she didn't even suspect Hannibal. Others saw it yet she turned the other way, protecting Hannibal until the end. So her senses were off and now she had to decided with everyone she ever met if they are who they appear to be.

"I'll be sure to let Hannibal know of your…concerns," she told him sharply.

Mason chuckled in amusement. "Just like your brother, Mrs. Lecter-"

"We're not married, Mr. Verger," she reminded him as politely as possible.

"Oh, my mistake," he apologized though there was definitely something off about his words.

"I doubt that," she boldly replied.

"As I was saying before, Miss Graham, you and your brother are not so different from each other," he mused with a smug smirk.

An image of her slicing Mason Verger's throat with the swing of the blade in her hand flashed in her mind.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present as she admitted to Mason, "I'm nothing like my brother. For instance, you don't want to get on my bad side."

"Why?" He inquired curiously. "What's it like over there?"

She smirked. "I'm not afraid of the darkness like my brother is. I will do whatever it takes to protect the ones I love…and so will Hannibal and Will. It would be in your best interest to remember that for when you decide to open your mouth and have words come out of it."

Elizabeth calmly walked around him, thinking, _should I be scared of a powerful man like Mason Verger like most would be? Wouldn't that be the normal thing to do…yet here I am, calm as ever and suddenly craving a steak?_

 _He likes meat. I should've guessed it seeing as how his father has the same craving for meat. Like father like son._

Elizabeth didn't like how she suddenly thought about murdering-no, killing Mason Verger. She thought that it would've easy to kill Verger, sneak into his home at night, stick a tranquilizer into his neck, knock him out, and then take him somewhere to kill him.

When it's all done, dispose of the body.

When she stepped inside of her car, she stopped for a moment, her mind running to different scenarios of how to kill Verger. She didn't like the feeling, but yet it didn't seem to frighten her so much.

She didn't know what was happening to her. She knew she's always been a friend to the darkness, dragging her along with him, but this seemed more than just a friendly visit like usual. No, it was more than that. It's starting to become more of a ritual to her.

Elizabeth drove away from his office, first dialing Jack then hanging up the next second. She did the same with Will. She couldn't decide how to tell about this-about Hannibal. It was still unreal to her.

* * *

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will asked, not being able to take his eyes off of his dogs eating Mason Verger's face.

"I do not know," Hannibal replied. "I haven't seen her all day…she came into my office, looking as angry as a bull, but then it went away."

"That's strange," Will commented. "Do you think she knows?"

He shrugged. "I can't tell anymore. She seems to be becoming the master of manipulation."

"No doubt that she learned that skill from you," Will added calmly. "She's getting close though I imagine. She won't-can't be blind forever from the darkness that she seems to attract."

Hannibal slowly shook his head. "She's no stranger to darkness. She's done worse things than you have, Will."

Will lifted up an eyebrow, zoning out Mason's maddening laughter. "What has my sister done?"

Hannibal smirked a little. "All I will say is that she's perfect for me. For us, Will."

"Elizabeth Graham," Mason laughed, drawing both men out of their conversation. "She's…my, my, she is something else. You know she threatened me this morning! Threatened me! Me! Mason Verger!"

"What about, Mason," Hannibal asked in curiosity.

"She told me she was the bad one out of the Graham twins, you could say…that I shouldn't get in her way especially when it involves either of you…she's a spitfire that one!"

Both men were surprised by that statement, knowing that Elizabeth always followed the path of doing the right thing. She wasn't known for being selfish or even violent for that matter unless it involves the suspect for a case then that's a different story.

"Do you know where she is?" Hannibal asked Mason who shrugged in response.

He laughed. "I had someone tail her just in case she tried anything."

"And?"

"You know…I can't seem to remember now."

Will jumped forward, but Hannibal's hand on his chest forced him back.

"She can't be that hard to find, Will," Hannibal reminded him. "If anything, she probably needed some time away."

Will eyed the man-the killer standing in front of him, wondering if he knew of his sister's whereabouts. If maybe, she had found out about who he was and decided to take matters into her own hands. It seemed like something that she would do. She would confront Hannibal instead of running away from the situation especially being that she's pregnant with his child.

 _Elizabeth didn't know,_ Will concluded. _Perhaps Hannibal is telling me the truth for once. He wouldn't hurt his child. His son symbolizes the family that was taken away from him…if anything, Hannibal will do whatever it takes to make sure that Elizabeth is alive and their child is as well._

* * *

"It's been more than a couple of days, Jack," Hannibal told Jack as he paced back and forth in the office.

"We've already got the entire force out there, looking for her," Jack reminded him, he wasn't doing this for him. He was doing it for Elizabeth Graham.

"It's not…it's not enough," he snapped angrily, losing control for a moment which was a first for Hannibal. "What about Klaus? He must know something. He's her father; she wouldn't go without at least telling him."

Hannibal looked at Jack who was silent before saying, "Klaus hasn't seen her either. We would know if she was planning on going somewhere, Hannibal."

Hannibal turned away, striding out of the room just as Will came inside.

"What happened?" Will asked.

Jack sighed. "We still haven't found her, Will. I didn't want to tell Hannibal this especially in his state-"

"What is it, Jack," Will questioned sharply, reminding Jack of Elizabeth.

Jack nodded and took out a paper from a file, handing it over to Will. "You see why I didn't tell him this? You and I both know what this means now."

Will looked up from the paper and replied, "She's running. She knows about Hannibal."

"My thoughts exactly. I mean why else would she buy a plane ticket all the way to Paris."

"To put as much distance between her child and its father," Will answered. "Elizabeth's putting her child's life first especially after seeing what genes its father probably gave him."

"Bad genes."

"Yeah. It tends to run in our family and Hannibal's as well…put those genes into a child and you've got yourself The Devil," Will explained, completely distraught about his sister's runaway with Hannibal's child. He already knew that it was in his sister's best interest for being the reason why Jack didn't say a word of this to Hannibal. He would put two and two together, it wouldn't be that hard actually since he's smarter than the rest of them.

 _But it seems Lizzie was smarter than him. She managed to secure her and her son's safety with just the click of her finger without Hannibal noticing._

 _Perhaps Hannibal was right after all about there being a darkness inside of Elizabeth and that she truly was no stranger to it._

 _This game that Hannibal Lecter was playing with us seemed to be taken into a whole new level. I am no longer the player of interest now. Elizabeth is the one who wants to play with him. Seeing if he could catch her in time for the big finale, the final bang._

 _Like Hannibal said before…Elizabeth was perfect for him._

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! It seriously makes me so happy that you guys are really involved into this story and its characters/plot. ONLY FIVE MORE FAVORITES TILL I GET 100 FAVORITES ON THIS STORY! Not giving anything away next chapter since you all know that it's the season finale of season 2. UGH, so many plans for season 3. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	35. Chapter 35

Hannibal felt like eating someone. He thought it strange how no one seemed to be doing anything about the fact that Elizabeth was still missing.

The reason Hannibal wasn't doing anything was because he didn't want to somehow push Elizabeth away even more.

How did he know?

A few missing clothes, Peanuts is gone, and other items gave her away…and that she left him a book. Hannibal stopped cutting the carrots and wiped his hands on the towel. He walked out of the kitchen, traveling upstairs. He stopped walking when he went past a specific room.

His hand slowly pushed the door open causing it to creak loudly. He didn't know how to feel about the nursery that was made for their son. He stepped inside, seeing that the crib was the only thing put together. There were still boxes of baby items all around the room.

He picked up the book she left him as he whispered its title, "The Great Gatsby."

He set it in his bag in their bedroom. He felt he was going crazy since he swore he kept on hearing her voice, calling out his name every time she came here.

Hannibal missed her; he wanted her back in his arms once again. He knew that he would find her after he sorted all this mess out, He always found her.

The phone rang downstairs; catching Hannibal's attention as he quickly went to answer it.

"Hello," he answered.

"They know," Will told him.

 _It was only a matter of time,_ he thought. _Although I was getting comfortable here._

Hannibal hung up; so many thoughts went through his head for a moment. Then he grabbed the knife and continued to cut as he waited for them to come to him.

Jack's hand drifts toward his coat as he walks into the kitchen, brushing his thumb across the fasten of his sidearm holster.

Hannibal throws his knife at as Jack Crawford dives out of the way as he draws his gun from his holster and. Hannibal's knife moves through Jack's hand at the wrist, his gun clatters to the floor. Hannibal jumps over the kitchen counter as Jack pulls the knife out of his wrist, swinging it immediately. The blade whisks through the air, narrowly missing Hannibal.

He yanks another knife from the cutting board and swings it in a deadly arc. Jack knifes his torso to avoid the blade, slashing back at Hannibal with quick swipes.

Hannibal deflects Jack's knife with his own and they dodge and block each other's blades. Jack thrusts and slices into Hannibal's waist, who twists around the knife, knocking it from his grip. Hannibal lunges his knife at Jack's belly, meaning to gut him. Jack quickly blocks the knife with a cutting board and then smashes the cutting board into the side of Hannibal's head, knocking him off balance, but not quite down.

He grabs Hannibal and swings him, crashing into the cupboards. Hannibal throws his weight back at Jack, driving him across the kitchen. Jack maneuvers his arms around Hannibal's throat and begins to squeeze a chokehold. Hannibal writhes and kicks, trying to throw Jack off balance, but it becomes useless.

His eyelids flutter and pinch as he tries to focus and remain conscious. His body goes limp and he slumps in Jack's arms... just enough for his shoulder to drop.

When Jack was caught off guard, his hand to reach towards a shard of glass on the floor.

Hannibal plunges the glass into Jack's neck. He recoils and stumbles back, clutching his neck as his blood gushed out. Hannibal acts quickly, picking up a butcher knife and turning on Jack. Still clutching his neck, Jack stumbles back into the pantry and falls inside. He quickly kicks the door close as Hannibal started to violently advance on him.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!

Hannibal throws his shoulder into the pantry door, Jack's foot braced against it as he rips off his tie to tie around his neck.

SLAM! He throws his shoulder into a braced door, jolting Jack again.

Jack holds his neck wound with one hand as he fumbles for his phone with the other.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! The door splinters.

Hannibal's face had the terrible focus of a predatory animal.

SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! The door finally splinters under Hannibal's force.

Alana Bloom in the doorway as she whispers, "Hannibal….Hannibal!"

Hannibal stopped and turned to see Alana.

"Hello, Alana," He greeted calmly.

She looked around the kitchen, seeing that it was a broken, bloody room, mounting with horror.

Hannibal sighs, truly disappointed to see her here since he knew how much Alana meant to Will and Elizabeth.

"What a terrible and wonderful thing it is to see you."

" Where's Jack?"

"In the pantry," he answered. "I was hoping you and I wouldn't have to say good-bye. I imagined a farewell less sorrowful, less present, an echo. Nothing said nor seen. You may've thought that rude."

He takes a step toward her, her finger tensing on the gun.

"Stop." She ordered firmly. "I was so blind. We all were. Even Elizabeth. You have a child on the way with her, Hannibal. Was it all apart of your sick plan to torture her or something?"

Hannibal sighed, not liking how she mentioned Elizabeth in that way. "In your defense, I worked very hard to blind you- all of you. Elizabeth chose not to see and so she left me, but you…you can stay blind. You can hide from this. Walk away. I'll make no plans to call on you. But if you stay, I will kill you. Be blind, Alana. Don't be brave."

She pulls the trigger without another thought and the gun clicks. She pulls it again and another click. _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

"I took your bullets.".

Alana stares frozen as a huge simple terror washes over her. Alana runs away from him as fast as possible. Hannibal takes a breath, and then gives reluctant pursuit.

Alana runs through the hallway and starts up a large staircase, wondering why she didn't go for the front door instead. Hannibal comes charging behind her. Alana speeds up, but he is faster. As they round a bend in the stairs, he grabs for her. His hand clutches at her ankle, grasping her shoe. Alan slips, kicks her foot from her shoe and scrabbles on her knees.

She kicked Hannibal hard with the other heel, catching his face and rocking him back. Hannibal smiles. Takes his time now as he follows her.

As Alana runs down the hall, Hannibal slowly stalked behind. Alana comes up the stairs, into the hallway. She makes for a bedroom door. Alana bursts into the dark bedroom and slams the door closed. Turns the key in the lock and stares at the door.

Her heart was slamming in her ears as well as her blood rushing through her veins. She gasped for breath. Alana thinks quickly and pulls the spare clip from her bag and ejects the empty one from her gun. Alana slams the clip into the gun and draws the slide and fires twice into the door.

"I found more bullets," she called out to him.

A shadow moves outside the door, blocking the holes left in the door, and Alana fires again, making a third hole.

Alana was breathing hard, facing the door Lit by the orange beams of light with her gun ready and aiming down the barrel, just as she was taught. A figure steps from the shadows beside her.

Alana senses a presence behind her and turns. She instinctively turns the gun to Abigail then lowers it.

"Abigail..."

Abigail fights tears, on the edge. "I'm so sorry..."

And she suddenly shoves Alana, propels her backward and pushes Alana out of the window.

* * *

"Flight A63 to Paris, your plane is ready to board right now," someone spoke over the speaker in the airport.

Elizabeth held the ticket in her hand as her bags sat next to her. Should she?

Her hands shook as they held the ticket in her hands and was surprised to find that no one came looking for her. She didn't know what to do right now. She's never one to really run away from her problems and finding out that the love of your life is your enemy and the man behind all those horrendous murders including being the father of her child. She knew that if he got away from them then he would come looking for her and their son.

She rubbed her stomach in a way to comfort herself. The person over the speaker repeated her flight and which class was now boarding.

If she were to leave then Will would be alone and her child would he safe from Hannibal and all the rest of them. They could start new lives and live where no one knows who they are.

* * *

A shot rings out and Will's gun drops to the ground when he grips his stomach. The gun that was aimed at Hannibal was now lying on the floor near his feet that had blood dripping on his shoes.

Will stunned, looks up into Elizabeth's face. "Lizzie…"

Hannibal turned and he too was surprised to see her there. He noticed that she intended to miss a major artery…she wanted to survive, but at a price. He thought that he could never be surprised again, but then Elizabeth came into his life and kept on giving him surprises.

"I'm sorry, Will," she told him as she walked into the room, lowering her gun. "I can't let you destroy my family."

"But…" he grunted in pain. "I'm your family…not him."

She shook her head. "This baby is the one good thing Hannibal has ever done. My son deserves his father and mother by his side. I can't help, but still love him…even after what he's done to me."

Hannibal held onto Will as he almost fell to the ground when trying to walk towards his sister who didn't flinch at all.

"How," he whispered. "Why?!"

Elizabeth and Hannibal locked eyes with each other as she walked towards them, she kissed his lips gently, quoting, "If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him."

Hannibal let a small smile grace his lips as he replied with a quote from _The Great Gatsby_ , "The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly."

"Why?" Will asked them causing both their heads to turn towards him.

"You would deny me my life."

"Not your life."

"My freedom, then. My son, probably the only chance that I'll ever have at love. You'd take that from me. Confine me to a basement cell. Do you believe you could change me the way I've changed you?

"I already have."

Hannibal studies Will a moment, realizing he's right. "Fate and circumstance has returned us to the moment the teacup shatters. I forgive you, Will."

He then lets go of Will, moving Elizabeth out of the way. Will tumbled to the ground as Hannibal cupped her face in his hands. "You came back…why?"

"Because I love you…I think that no matter happens that I'll always love you. I was running away from my problems. But I realize that we have a child together and that you are the only person who knows me-truly knows me. I-I would kill for you just as you would do the same not only for me, but for our family as well, Hannibal Lecter," she confessed.

Hannibal passionately kissed her, loving her even more than he did before. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close as possible before they ended the kiss. Hannibal breaks away from her and stands next to a terrified Abigail who Elizabeth realizes was there and she made a note to ask Hannibal later.

Hannibal is genuinely sad as he questions, "Will you forgive me?"

Will has time for a single, shocked, "Don't..."

Hannibal cuts Abigail's throat in a single, sleek motion, right across the scar where her father once did the same. Abigail's face shows shock and horror and then blood sprays. Abigail crumples to the floor before Will.

"No!"

Elizabeth didn't feel anything. She tried to feel sad, but the feeling was lost on her in that moment.

Abigail clutches at her throat to stop the bleeding, but it pours from between her fingers. Will is horrified and looks to his sister for help, but finds her staring impassively at the scene before her. He wondered who the hell this woman was standing before him. This wasn't his sister. _What the hell did Hannibal do to her?_

"You can make it all go away. Put your head back. Close your eyes. Wade into the quiet of the stream."

They hold a look and then Hannibal disappears into the darkness with Elizabeth behind him, holding his hand tightly in hers. Will drags himself to Abigail and takes his hands from his own terrible wound and places them against her throat, trying to stem the flow of bleeding. A bloody Will pulls Abigail to him, lifting her head higher to try to stem the blood flow.

He thought of a quote from the novel, _They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made._

 _They will be the modern-day version of Bonnie and Clyde…she can adapt well which will make it harder to find them._

Hannibal created a monster and it has now reared its ugly head to Will and Abigail in the crossfire. Will wondered how far his sister would go to be with Hannibal. She would go as far as killing her own brother if she could, but didn't.

* * *

 **THREE MONTHS LATER ~** _ **PROLOGUE**_

Blood splattered all over the place.

It rain down the walls and floors of the room…screams were echoing as well, but they would never be heard.

Elizabeth gasped loudly as Hannibal entered her, gripping her hips in his hands. He kissed her passionately on the lips, breathing life into her. He was careful of her large stomach that carried their son. But he wanted her…God did he want her in that moment.

They didn't care for the man screaming his lungs out in the soundproof basement or the fact that his blood was all around them.

"Hannibal," she whispered breathlessly.

He grunted in pleasure then kissed her collarbone, nipping at her skin too.

"Please," they heard him whimper. "Please…let me go."

"What do you say, darling," Hannibal asked her sweetly, nuzzling his nose into her neck. "Should we set him free?"

Elizabeth looked over at him for a moment then turned back to Hannibal, drawling out, "He was so rude though, my love."

Hannibal struck his hips upwards and more into her causing her head to fall back as she moaned loudly.

"He's going crazy inside of me," she whispered, gripping his hair.

Hannibal chuckled and came inside of her, spilling his seed inside of her with a groan.

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip as she climaxed with him as well. Sweat coated their bodies as they breathed heavily. Hannibal gently moved her off of him and onto the floor, grabbing his knife.

"No, no, no, no, please," the man begged mercifully. "PLEASE!"

The knife was struck in the air as he stabbed the knife into the man's chest as blood slowly spilled out of the wound.

"You really should learn how to talk to people," Hannibal advised him, looking into his eyes. "It's not polite to flirt with another man's wife."

The life left the man's eyes as his head lolled to the side lifelessly and his body went limp on the lounge chair.

 _This is just the beginning;_ h thought as Elizabeth smiled up at Hannibal.

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Season 3 next chapters and I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	36. A New Beginning

Ichabod Graham-Lecter was born on a cloudy Thursday and two months early. He appeared to be sitting on some important organs which resulted in an emergency c-section. He came out kicking and screaming until he was placed in Hannibal's arms.

It was indescribable of when Hannibal saw his son for the first time. He didn't care that his son still had blood on his head as he placed a loving, but firm kiss on top of his little head.

Elizabeth couldn't stop smiling that day and it didn't help that everyone kept on telling them how surprisingly beautiful Ichabod was when he was born. Everyone gushed over him whether he was awake or asleep.

Elizabeth walked into the kitchen of their supposed home in Italy, seeing Hannibal holding their son as he fed him. "Morning," she whispered and kissed his cheek.

Hannibal smiled warmly down at Ichabod. "After Mischa, I didn't think that I would ever have children. I was afraid of somehow forgetting her if I started a family…"

"I shot my own brother mainly because I was afraid of what would happen to Ichabod if Will took you away."

"His head would no doubt be filled with terrifying stories about me. He would've forgotten e," Hannibal admitted sadly.

Elizabeth shook her head furiously. "I will never let that happen…you see? This is why I had to shoot him. I don't to fill our son's head with nonsense."

"I know," he reminded her, rocking their son slowly from side to side. "You both mean so much to me."

"Same," she muttered then brightly smiled at Ichabod who giggled happily at seeing the sight of his mother. "Come here, my little teacup. Mommy's here!"

Hannibal handed the baby to her and felt a little lost without his son in his arms. He watched as she cooed at him, kissing him repeatedly, and not being able to let him go. She liked to call him, "Little Teacup" or "Gummy Bear". Hannibal genuinely smiled at the sight of them together and he kissed her temple.

"Where's Bedelia," she asked softly as Ichabod suddenly laughed and he waved his tiny arms around.

"Buying wine and meat...the usual," he answered and tickled his son's stomach with his finger causing him to laugh and then yawn.

"Tired," Elizabeth questioned in shock. "Again?! You just woke up, dude."

Hannibal took Ichabod out of her arms, inhaling the baby scent he had on him. "Such a sleepy little teacup, aren't you?"

Ichabod could barely keep his little eyes open as his head lolled to the side until he was sleeping on Hannibal's shoulder. Elizabeth saw how attached Ichabod was to his father and how much he wanted to be with him instead of her. She didn't mind since it let her catch up on her sleep.

Hannibal felt as if he would somehow break the baby since Ichabod was still small and only weighed a couple of pounds. He walked out of the kitchen and towards the nursery where he laid him to sleep. So far, things had been peaceful with them, but they all knew the danger of getting caught and what kind of world was in Ichabod's future.

"I won't let anyone take you from me," Hannibal whispered lowly to his sleeping son as he stroked his head. "Your mother too. You'll meet your Uncle Will soon, but for now…you'll just have us."

Hannibal walked out of the room and back to Elizabeth who was licking pudding off a spoon as she very softly hummed to an Italian song she didn't know the words to. He came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She hummed in pleasure as his hands slowly slid down her body and started to hike up her nightgown.

"You're so bold this morning," she mused when his hands cupped her breasts in his hands, squeezing them.

Hannibal kissed her neck, murmuring, "When you look like this…"

He pulled down her panties, shoving his hard length inside of her suddenly.

She gasped and adjusted to his size once again. He roughly pulled down the top half of her nightgown, her breasts popping out as her nipples hardened when the cold air hit them. His nails dug into the side of her thigh and pulled her more towards him then lifted her up on the counter across from them.

He thrust wildly inside of her and Elizabeth was already ready to come at any moment. This was how desperate she was since they had to abstain from sex while she healed. It was stressful when they both felt that need of release and needed sex with each other specifically.

"Oh, Hannibal," she moaned and bit her bottom lip as her breasts jumped up and down whenever he pounded into her again.

Hannibal groaned and grabbed one of her breasts, twirling the nipple around. He bent his head and sucked on the nipple.

Elizabeth put her hands on his shoulders, trying to stop him. "Stop it. You'll get my milk in your mouth."

He brought his head up and kissed her passionately on the lips, still pounding inside of her. She pushed him away and got down on her knees, sucking his cock. His hand went into her hair, gripping it.

"Yes," he growled.

Hannibal called out her name after he pulled out of her mouth and spilled his seed all over her chest.

Elizabeth gave a little giggle as she stood up, wiping the semen off of her chest with a towel. He pulled her to him and kissed her again just as passionately as he always did before. She smiled against his lips and whispered, "I see that we've christened the kitchen now."

"Let us enjoy the nice alone time we have together while we're still ahead," he reminded her.

She pulled on her clothes, laughing when he couldn't stop kissing her. "You're just a teenage boy today, aren't you? Probably gonna jack off when I leave you alone."

He shrugged. "Probably."

Elizabeth shook her head and replied, "I missed sex."

"Surprisingly, me too," he admitted, holding her in his arms. "Just think…you could be with child again in the next two months or so."

She raised an amused eyebrow at him and said, "Wait for a year or two then maybe you can get another mini us."

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEW, FOLLOW, AND FAVORITE! Hey, if you all hate the baby's name, Hannibal is just as weird as Ichabod…besides when I think of Hannibal's child, I always thought that it would be something weird, but strangely memorable. So this is just a little peace of happiness before everything turns to shit.**

 **So starting this chapter, there will be a title now!**

 **I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	37. One Bloody Fairytale

Hannibal stared down at his son who was in return smiling gleefully up at him, waving his arms around as he rocked him back and forth.

"Would you like to here a fairytale, Ichabod," he asked.

Ichabod smiled brightly in response and Hannibal continued, "Then I will give you a real one that actually came true. Let it be a fairy tale, then. Once upon a time…"

Hannibal started as he sat down in a chair that faced a balcony which spied the beautiful scene of Italy in front of them. "There was prince-a prince of darkness, you could say. He was happy with his lonely life and the fact that he wasn't as blind as most people were in every kingdom that he went to. So one day, his eyes caught a princess. She was the most beautiful princess he had ever seen and he had met many princesses before her. Now this princess didn't fall for his tricks like the ones before her, she could see right through him and he surprised himself that he liked that in her. Oh, she was a fiery princess…there was always this little glint in her eyes whenever she saw blood, murders, or something like a puzzle. So the dark prince had decided to set the largest puzzle out just for her, to see if she was truly able to see through him."

"Is that what happened," Elizabeth mused as she walked into the nursery.

Hannibal nodded. "I believe so."

She kissed their son's forehead and continued the story, "The princess tried not to fall in love with the dark prince because of another lowborn lord before her who broke her heart. She thought that she was doomed to never fall in love. The princess didn't know what to do with the prince whenever they spoke to each other. She was dark too just like the prince though she hid it just as well as he did."

Elizabeth sat on his lap, draping her arm over the chair. "There were so many people who got in the way of their love. Okay so the princess had her heart broken before, right? So when the dark princes came into her life, she didn't know what to do. He had secrets just like she did, but when she let herself love him…he challenged her. He made her have to question her beliefs and what was right and wrong in the world-her world."

Hannibal sighed as he rubbed his fingers over the open skin on her hip. "The princess had a brother, a prince as well and he and his army did everything in their power to keep the dark prince away from his beautiful princess after she gave herself to him. The Hound is what they called her brother by the way, so he told the beautiful princess a big secret about her one true love and she ran away from him. The dark prince was in despair at her departure."

Elizabeth continued the story, "When the princess was at that border with her things, she hesitated. She realized that she didn't care what the dark prince did. She loved him for him. So she ran back and betrayed her family for love. They ran away from that horrible place and found that she was with child. They were the happiest people in the world."

"The dark prince married the beautiful princess, their wedding day was truly magical and you know what? They did live happily ever after."

* * *

The scene was something out of a fairytale. It was similar to the ballroom where Cinderella danced the night away with Prince Charming. Couples were in motion with each other, gliding around the room as if they were dancing on air.

Dancing elegantly around the room were Hannibal Lecter and his "wife", Elizabeth Lecter. Also known as Dr. Roman Fell and his wife, Mrs. Lydia Fell. Hannibal looked dashing and sharp in his suit with his hair slicked back and the physical scars healed perfectly. Elizabeth wore a pure white sexy lace V-neck with beaded crystals on the chest Chiffon dress. The train on her dress was floor length. Hannibal twirled her around elegantly and she felt like she was dancing on air. Once the song ended, Hannibal whispered in ear, "Bellissima."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but still smiled at him, laughing softly, "Grazie, Bello. I like it when you speak another language to me. It sounds sexy."

Hannibal kissed her passionately on the lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Elizabeth smiled against his lips as she realized that everyone every so often would turn their eyes to them and watch. They broke apart when someone cleared their throat. Hannibal pulled away from her, but wrapped his arm around her waist protectively, answering, "Hello, Sogliato."

Sogliato was a smooth, oily Italian, and seemed to be in his late thirties and impeccably dressed.

"Dr. Fell, I hope you translate as well as you waltz," He greeted them. "And this must be your beautiful wife, Mrs. Fell."

Sogliato kissed her hand and Elizabeth told him, "Please, call me Lydia. My mother-in-law is Mrs. Fell and we frankly don't get along that well."

He chuckled. "An honest woman…I like that."

They stood with Mr. and Mrs. Albizzi, president of the museum's governing board. Hannibal snags them both two flutes of champagne off a passing tray.

Elizabeth shook her head, reminding him, "Feeding time later."

"Ah, yes," Hannibal sighed and handed the flute back to the waiter.

Mr. Albizzi said, "Our new appointee was confirmed by the board after close questioning."

"You've examined him in medieval Italian, and I will not deny his language is admirable," Sogliato replied with a hint of arrogance.

Elizabeth became intrigued at the exchange of dominance that hushed over them, she was suddenly aware of the crowd that are observing them as is Sogliato.

"Thank you." Hannibal replied politely.

"For a straniero," Sogliato added. "And his very, very young wife. Your customs must be different from where you are from."

"Age is nothing, but a number. I'm sure you're aware of this," Bedelia defended as she walked elegantly to stand beside them.

"And you are?"

"I'm Lydia's sister. Older sister," Bedelia explained and held out her hand. "Monica, Signor Sogliato."

"I can see the family resemblance, but still you must not understand our customs here."

Sogliato smiled at the audience now ear-wigging shamelessly. Both women are watching Hannibal, the way his eyes go dead for a second at the insult before he smiles.

Sogliato continued, "Are you familiar with the personalities of pre-Renaissance Florence? I think not."

He gave a smile for Bedelia and then opened his mouth once more, "Dr. Fell might hold in his hand-in his _non-Italian_ hand- a note from Dante Alighieri himself. Would he recognize it? I think not."

 _Oh, no…so this guy is going to die tonight, huh,_ Elizabeth thought. _Well, I would let Hannibal cook him into a meal if given the choice. I hate it when people look at us and judge just because he is much older than I am. I don't give a damn about his age because I love him, I could care less about that minor detail._

"Professor Sogliato, would you do me the honor of a dance?" Bedelia asked him, offering her arm, very keen to lead him away. They both knew that this man was already on Hannibal's list or should she say, recipes.

As they turn away, Hannibal recites,

"Allegro mi sembrava Amor tenendo

meo core in mano, e ne le braccia avea

madonna involta in un drappo dormendo.

Poi la svegliava, e d'esto core ardendo

lei paventosa umilmente pascea;

appreso gir lo ne vedea piangendo."

Some of those listening applaud loudly at this stirring recital, but Sogliato hates it. Elizabeth couldn't help, but smile proudly at him and feel a sense of victory over the situation. She loved it when Hannibal protected her.

"Dante's first sonnet. It fascinated Cavalcanti. The eating of the heart is a powerful image." Hannibal continued and she could see that Hannibal doesn't have to be smug; Signor Albizzi is smug for him.

"If he's such an expert on Dante, let him lecture on Dante, to the Studiolo. Let him face them. _Extempore_ ," Sogliato replied with a hint of irritation in his voice

Hannibal merely inclines his head. "I'm happy to sing for my supper."

He holds Sogliato's gaze. Battle met and won.

"Professor Sogliato." Bedelia repeated with a small smile.

Bedelia looks to Sogliato who takes her hand to dance. Hannibal smiles at Bedelia who doesn't return his smile. Elizabeth kissed his cheek and said lowly to him, "God that was really hot."

Hannibal looked into her lustful eyes and warned, "If you keep on looking at me with those eyes then…then we will miss the entire event."

"I would greatly enjoy that and so would you."

"I love that dress," Hannibal murmured, running a finger down the valley between her breasts.

Elizabeth nodded slowly and took his hand, replying, "I think that this dress will look better on the floor of our bedroom, don't you think, Dr. Fell?"

Hannibal gave her an amused smirk.

* * *

Hannibal groaned in pleasure as she bounced on top of him, his mouth latching onto her hardened nipple. The top half of her dress was pulled down to her hips as his dress shirt was torn open to reveal his chest. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling him close to her body while they say on top of their bed.

"Oh, Hannibal," she moaned.

"This dress," he murmured. "You should keep it."

Elizabeth chuckled breathlessly, nodding. "Okay."

They both groaned as they heard Ichabod crying on the baby monitor that was planted on their nightstand.

"Feeding time," they said in unison to each other.

Elizabeth groaned as she got off of Hannibal, pulling her dress up and fixing it. She padded down the hallway and towards the nursery. Elizabeth picked up a red-faced Ichabod in her arms, calming down when he was in her arms. She gently patted his back and rocked him a little. Elizabeth smiled down at him and then carried him into their bedroom.

Hannibal raised an eyebrow at the sight of their son and his "wife". "What's wrong?"

"He won't sleep unless he knows I'm holding him. He's attached to me just like his father," Elizabeth joked.

Hannibal stroked the soft hair on top of his head as he stuffed his face into his mother's neck. "Then he's sleeping with us."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I really wanted to continue our _alone time_ together."

Hannibal shook his head. "It's fine, Elizabeth. Let's go to sleep."

She kissed his lips with a peck and then attempted to multi-task in order to keep holding the baby and change into her pajamas. Hannibal laughed the entire time, but helped her all the same.

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Sorry for the late update, I've been super busy so I will try to update more often. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	38. The Last Supper

"Why did you choose to stay?" Bedelia asked her quietly.

"People do crazy things when they're in love," Elizabeth replied as they walked down the street that led to the shop they went to for wine and meat for almost six months now. Bedelia wore a vibrant shade of blue, lighting up the plain streets of Italy while Elizabeth wore all black and cut her hair short again, her blonde curls coming to rest at the middle of her pale neck.

"You are strangely quite this morning," Bedelia commented, looking at her and noticing that Elizabeth was now staring down at the ring on her finger placed by Hannibal after they had Ichabod.

Bedelia honestly enjoyed spending time with Ichabod, he was always smiling and was a happy baby. She thought it ironic how he came from Hannibal and Elizabeth. Ichabod always made Bedelia smile and she hoped that this child would not suffer a horrible fate because of his parents and their actions. She hoped that his life would be happy and that he would not have to see the reality of the world and its people. Bedelia suddenly felt a protectiveness swarm up inside of her at the thought of someone hurting that little happy boy.

"Hannibal fed him meat," Elizabeth whispered, her fists curling up in rage.

"What kind?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I don't want him to know about those things. I want our son to be nothing like Hannibal."

"So why come back to Hannibal?" Bedelia questioned curiously. "You could've saved your son from Hannibal's ways…yet you chose to stay?"

Elizabeth looked over at the woman standing beside her and answered, "I love him. With all my heart. I couldn't stay away from him even if I tried. We would've found each other eventually. I'm happy I stayed, but I don't want Hannibal forcing his life choices onto our son. Ichabod needs to decide what he wants and what we want can't influence his own life choices."

Bedelia gave her the smallest of smiles and continued to make her way into the shop.

"Bonjour!" Someone called to them from behind. "Mrs. Jakov!"

Elizabeth stopped and turned around after telling Bedelia, "I'll handle this. Go on in."

Elizabeth planted a smile on her face towards the man. "Yes."

"We met in Paris a few months ago. I mean your husband and I of course.," he explained and struck out his hand. "My name is Anthony Dimmond."

"Hello, Mr. Dimmond. How do you know me if I may ask?"

"Your husband mentioned you and then I saw a picture of you and a baby that he was holding in his hands before I talked to him. I'm a very observant man and I happen to never forget a face especially one of the most beautiful faces that I had ever seen," he told her with a charming smile.

Elizabeth tilt her head to the side. "Does my husband know you're here?"

"Yes, I happen to just run into him about an hour ago. What a small world this is to be running into his wife an hour later."

"Yes…what a small world this is indeed, Mr. Dimmond."

"He invited me for dinner actually."

"Did he?" She questioned, but mostly to herself. "Well then I guess I'll see you tonight. I must be going now; my sister is an impatient woman."

He chuckled and nodded. "Of course. It was lovely to finally meet you."

He kissed her hand and walked away from her. Elizabeth's smile easily fell off her face as Bedelia came out of the shop with a bag in her hand.

"What happened?"

"Hannibal invited a dinner guest," she explained, irritation lingering in her tone. "I didn't even know about it."

"I would be cautious around Hannibal now," Bedelia warned her. "Who knows what he's planning these days…"

"A last supper," Elizabeth responded grimly.

* * *

"I'm not eating with you tonight," Elizabeth informed Hannibal, a hint of coldness to her voice.

"And why not?"

"Because I'm not in the mood."

"What kind of mood are you in tonight?"

"The kind of mood that will get you with a slit throat if you keep on asking me questions," she stated calmly.

Bedelia stopped playing with Ichabod on the leather couch. She watched as Elizabeth took Ichabod into her arms, holding him protectively as she walked away.

"Elizabeth," Hannibal called out to her and Elizabeth ignored him, walking to the nursery then slamming the door shut.

Bedelia watched as Hannibal growled a little and strode into the hallway towards the nursery, disappearing into the room. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. She knew it was only a matter of time before Elizabeth snapped. Elizabeth lover Hannibal more than Will, but she did not love Hannibal more than her own child. She was a mother first and she would out that little boy before anyone else including his father.

Elizabeth looked down at her son who had no clue about what was going on around him. He was clueless and therefore innocent. Her fingers gently grazed his cheeks as his amused blue eyes were set completely on her own. He looked too much like Hannibal and she would be damned if she let Hannibal spread his cannibalism onto their son. She was still angry at him for feeding him the little piece of meat. She was even more angered by the fact that he was now hiding things from her.

Shouldn't the marriage between them mean something valuable yet all it left her were secrets and bloodshed. She didn't have the courage to leave Hannibal; she still managed to love him somehow. She never understood why.

Tonight, she didn't feel like pretending and being smart about her words. All she wanted was to be Elizabeth Graham again.

Elizabeth suddenly missed Will and Jack and Alana and everyone else back home. She wanted them to see Ichabod and just be there. She wanted to see Klaus-her father again. She wanted that life back all of the sudden and wondered what caused these second thoughts.

Hannibal came into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Be honest with me, Elizabeth…are you happy here…with me?"

Elizabeth held her son closer to her as she answered, "I was. I don't know what's wrong though. Something's missing here and I don't know what it is."

He walked closer to her and sat down next to her on the small sofa. "How long?"

"Ever since you fed our son a human. I don't want this life for him."

"Then what do you want? Huh? What will make you happy?"

She stared at him. "If I tell you then you will either kill me or never let it happen. Either way I'm stuck here…all alone with my thoughts."

"You have me."

"That isn't enough after all," she stated sadly.

Ichabod stood up on her lap and crawled over to Hannibal, gripping onto his arm though smiling brightly. He giggled and stumbled onto Hannibal's lap as Hannibal picked him up. Hannibal fiercely kissed his son's head and whispered, "You want me to let you go…the both of you."

"I thought that I could…" she stopped herself and then held his hand into her own. "I will always love you, but I can't be the woman you want me to be. I tried living in your lifestyle, but I-I couldn't do it, Hannibal. I'm not that kind of person. You know me better than anyone, Hannibal; you knew that this would happen eventually, that we would grow apart somehow."

Hannibal finally turned his body to look at her and said, "If you want me to let you go then you can't take Ichabod with you. He has to stay here with me."

She ripped her hands away from him, standing up. "What?! How can you be so cruel?"

"I can let you go, but not our son. He means so much to me now. You know me just as much as I know you so you know that the reason that I won't let you go is because of Ichabod. He is my only son."

"I won't take him away from you, but he needs to have a normal life and this," she gestured to the room and then outside. "This isn't normal. He needs a chance. You can come visit him. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that you don't lose touch with him, but you have to let us both go."

"I don't have to do anything actually," he reminded her, setting down their son and standing up as well, towering over her. "I would never hurt you though…but I could. I could eat you if I wanted to, but I did not. I could've done a lot of things to you, but I didn't because I noticed something in you. You're exactly like me and you can't help, but crave the meat I give you."

"You son of a bitch," she murmured and then banged her fist onto his chest. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," he reminded her again, holding her wrists. "You love me. You even said it yourself."

Hannibal kissed her lips passionately and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You need me just as I much as I need you, Lizzie."

Elizabeth felt herself kissing him back then wrapping her arms around his neck, moaning softly. Hannibal gripped her body closer to him then kissed down her jaw and neck, sucking the skin over her pulse. She pulled away from him and then lifted up their son into her arms.

"I'm still not coming to dinner with that man, Hannibal," Elizabeth reminded him, frowning.

Hannibal nodded and replied, "I would be surprised if you said you were."

"You know me too well."

"No," he corrected. "I know you just enough to know your plans, Elizabeth."

"As do I, Hannibal."

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! So Hannibal and Elizabeth are no a rocky road right now. Elizabeth still hasn't decided what to do yet, but she's gonna stay with Hannibal. For now at least. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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	39. My Truth Is Death

Will slowly opened his eyes as he struggled to lift himself up from the bed. It had only been a couple of days since he was released from the hospital. He sat up against the wall and looked to see his dogs protecting Peanuts. When his sister left, she gave him that dog to keep safe for her until she returned. He wondered if she would ever return...it was sad that he hoped she would.

Will forgave his sister.

And Hannibal too.

Most thought he was some fool for feeling this way, but he wanted to go with them. He wanted to go with them badly, but yet he couldn't. He just told them to run. He understood why his sister did what she did; she had a family for once in her life. She thought that she was happy. He smiled at the thought of seeing his nephew one day.

Peanuts yawned and stretched out her limbs, but Winston propped his head on top of hers. He chuckled when he saw Peanuts growl lowly until Winston kissed her by some licks. He knitted his brows in confusion as he saw the dogs stand up and walk out of the room.

They didn't come back until a few minutes later. He watched as Buster sniffed Peanuts' private areas just below her tail. Winston growled fiercely as Buster barked at him. Will stood up and walked towards the two dogs, scolding them.

He looked towards Peanuts who was sitting patiently beside Winston, staring up at Will.

 _Already causing trouble…she's definitely Lizzie's dog._

Will somehow compared the interaction between the three dogs to his relationship with Hannibal and his little sister. He wanted to protect her since the day his father brought her home. She was his only sister…his only family and he let Hannibal take her from him. He should've been like Winston, growling back at the predator who sought out to destroy everything good about them and turn it into darkness.

Will walked over to the bathroom, splashing water in his face. As he stared into mirror, he heard whimpers and excited barks from the dogs in the other room. Soon he heard a knock on the front doo. He knew that it could only be two people: Jack or Alana. Will traveled back into the room with a glass of water in his hand.

The glass cup fell from his hand and shattered to the ground.

Elizabeth opened the door and walked inside; carrying a black and beige baby car seat in her hand, her bags still on the porch behind her.

"Hi," she greeted softly, seeming to be nervous around him.

"W-What-"

"I left Hannibal," she explained, sitting the seat down on the chair.

Will stretched his head a little to look inside, a genuine smile graced his lips as he saw a blue-eyed version of his sister looking all over the place. He had a slightly curled brown hair sitting on top of his head. He kicked his chubby legs around and wiggled his body around, muttering, "Mama."

Elizabeth turned around and unstrapped him from the seat, picking him up as he gripped onto his mother. Will watched the interaction closely and anyone could tell that this mother would do just about anything for her son…including leaving the father in the hope of a better life. Elizabeth chuckled happily when his face broke out into a wide smile and spread his arms open wide as he told her gibberish.

"Will," she started. "I would like you to meet your nephew…Ichabod Graham-Lecter."

Will smiled at Ichabod when he told his sister, "A literature reference? Interesting choice."

"I wanted something unique and unforgettable." She told him. "He's beautiful, isn't he?"

He nodded. "He seems very bright."

"Everyone in our family is bright," she reminded him.

"I have to call Jack," Will said suddenly.

"I know," she replied sadly. "Which is why I already called and told him that I was here."

Will was shocked and then asked, "Why? Why are you here? Why did you come back?"

"When I was pregnant, I had this need to be closer to Hannibal and to be everything for him. I imagined it was because of the fact that I was carrying his son so I felt closer to him. When I was pregnant, I wasn't myself. After I had my son, those feelings went away. I still love him though…I don't think that I could ever stop, but he…" She trailed off, looking into the innocent eyes of Ichabod.

"What did he do?" Jack asked from the doorway, surprising all of them.

Elizabeth wet her lips and gulped nervously as she sat Ichabod down onto the ground, telling him, "Go play with the doggies, okay?"

He nodded happily, oblivious to the horrors that his mother was about to share to them. He crawled over to them and giggled constantly when they "attacked" him with licks.

Elizabeth came closer to them and crossed her arms over her chest defensively as she told them in a hushed voice, "We wanted different things. I now realize that we're too different. I'm not-or well, couldn't be the person that he wanted to be. He fed our child a small piece of meat and I snapped. I couldn't…"

Jack nodded and seemed to agree with her answer. "So you changed your mind and came back."

"Something was missing from my life and I realized that being with Hannibal wasn't enough after all and that I want a normal life for my son. I don't want him to grow up knowing the name, The Chesapeake Ripper or Hannibal the Cannibal-he's too young for any of this. I just want my life back, okay?" Elizabeth said in frustration. "I want my son and I know that what I did can never be forgiven and I understand that completely, but please don't take him away from me"

"That's not going to happen, Lizzie," Will interrupted sternly.

"Will," Jack warned.

"I promise," he told her.

Jack pulled Will aside quickly and told him, "You and I both know that there are a lot of charges against her."

"You can't do this, Jack. She doesn't deserve this"

"She put a bullet in your stomach, Will," Jack shouted at him. "Alana can barely walk and I almost died as well. Abigail died too, remember? She stood there and watched us get butchered by the man she loved and then ran off with him! Don't forget about the fact that she probably killed some of Hannibal's victims"

"I did no such thing," Elizabeth answered angrily, striding up to him. "I can assure you that if I did kill someone then it was justified."

"That doesn't mean shit to me."

"I know that he will kill me once he finds me and he will take my son away. Please, Jack. I may love Hannibal, but I love my son more than anything in this world and I can't think of a life where he's not inside of it."

"I'll make you a deal," Jack offered impassively. "If you can get me Hannibal then I will have the DA drop all charges against you."

"So you're saying Hannibal's life for my own," she questioned breathlessly. "Betray him?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "But only if you catch him. Until then I will have your every move monitored and everything you do, I _will_ know about, I will have a tracking device around your ankle. So if you run or double cross me then the deal's off the table and we're coming after the both of you instead. Now do we have a deal?"

Elizabeth's jaw hardened and then she looked back at her son, her hesitance was clearly written over her face. She turned around, the hesitance suddenly gone and replaced with firmness.

"Deal."

"Alright then," Jack responded and strode out the door and back into the cold.

Will wrapped his arm around her shoulders, explaining, "I forgave you a long while ago by the way."

She chuckled. "Thanks. I really don't know why I did anything to you guys. I should've saved you and arrested him. I should've done my job."

"Hannibal knew you. He played the game with us and he won. He knew which buttons to press and which glass to crack, but now we are playing a much more dangerous game."

"He warned me," she confessed in a rush.

"What?"

"He said that if I took his son away from him that he'd…well, let's just say that it was the ripper talking for a while," Elizabeth replied. "What happened to Jack?"

"His wife died recently and Hannibal sent him a letter that day. It enraged him and he now blames Hannibal for her death. He's grieving," Will elaborated and then went over to Ichabod. "Where will you be staying?"

"I was thinking Hannibal's house since I sold mine."

"You can stay here," Will offered. "I would like it much better if you two were closer to me. I want to get to know him better."

Elizabeth sighed. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel obligated to do something like this."

"I love you," he said. "You're my sister and I love you. I love my nephew too. We're a family and we don't each other behind…no matter what, blood is thicker than water. That's why I have forgiven you because you realized your mistake and came back."

Elizabeth smiled in relief and sat down next to him on the floor. They both watched as Ichabod stood up and wobbled a little bit.

"He's getting older," Will commented.

She nodded. "He's growing up too fast. Luckily, he can barely walk so it gives me time to just enjoy him as he is still young."

"Can you say Uncle Will," she cooed at Ichabod.

"Unchill Bill," he recited with a lopsided smile.

They laughed, feeling a sliver of happiness seek its way into their lives for once.

Ichabod laughed and went towards Will as he smiled widely, stumbling a little. Will had his arms held out for him. When the boy fell onto his uncle's lap, they all cheered for him. Will suddenly cuddled him closer to his chest, a strong feeling bursting inside of him and spreading its wings as he felt a need to protect this child from the horrors the world had shared with him. A couple of them involve his father.

Will saw the child's resemblance to both of his parents. He looked like a mixture of the both of them. _He was going to be a lady killer someday,_ Will thought with a light chuckle. _Have all the women fall before him no doubt._

"I'll be gone for a couples days," he informed her. "I have to go to Italy."

"Dada," Ichabod brightened suddenly.

Elizabeth jumped up and looked around on instinct. Will's hand on hers caused her to jump in shock.

"He knows where he's from," Will reminded her. "It's common with children that if they hear a place long enough and associate it with feelings that they know who is coming."

"Hannibal used to take him around Italy every morning, showing him everything that they could see and was trying to teach him many languages. It was Ichabod's favorite time of day because he knew that whenever one of us said Italy that he was going sight seeing," Elizabeth replied with a hint of unspoken sadness in her voice.

Will smiled at her. "Then I guess I'll have to take him around here too."

Elizabeth returned his smile. "He's such a sweet boy so I think he'll love that. Why are you going to Italy?"

"You already know the answer to that, Lizzie."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll stay here and Ichabod and I will unpack our things. Be safe alright. I don't know how Hannibal will react to you being there, Will. He just lost his wife and son."

"Wife?!" Will coughed up. "You married him!"

"Not really…it's so complicated when you think about it," she explained. "I'm sorry…I can't talk about this-about _him_ anymore, okay?"

Will nodded in understanding. "I'll be leaving in the morning."

"Good luck," she muttered.

"Stay safe and sound while I'm gone, okay?"

She nodded firmly. "I promise."

 **TBC…**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	40. The Days Go By

**ONE MONTH LATER…**

Hannibal's head whipped to the side as blood came spitting out of his mouth. He grunted a little as he fell to the floor, trying to keep his body up and able to fight.

 _This just keeps on getting worse,_ he thought bitterly.

Hannibal's Harpy knife is thrown clear into the shadows. Cut and shaken, Hannibal crawled towards it in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Jack sees his intent and uses a meat hook, swinging it into Hannibal's calf and dragging him back toward Jack. Hannibal's hands grasp and miss the knife. Jack slams him with heavy fists, concussive blows. Jack throws Hannibal who falls against the breaking wheel.

Hannibal stared at Jack, blood staining his teeth. Jack slammed Hannibal with his fist, again and again. Hannibal's head rocking back against the wheel, his arm strained to the breaking point, but he lets the blows come.

Hannibal regarded Jack as he taunted, "I brought Bella back from death and you returned her to it. Is that where you're sending me, Jack?"

Jack hits him again and again.

 _Well, I guess that's a yes._

Jack yells in primal rage and releases the breaking wheel, and Hannibal sags forward. Jack wheels him and hurls him through another cabinet and into the scaffolding and packing cases beyond.

Another shower of class comes sprawling around Hannibal when he lands, face stung with a hundred tiny cuts. Not even trying to fight back. He slowly gets to his feet and begins to limp away halfheartedly.

As Hannibal rested on the window seal where he killed Pazzi, he asked, "How will you feel when I'm gone?"

A victorious little smile came onto Jack's face as he answered, "Alive."

Jack hurls Hannibal backward out the window.

Hannibal lashes out an arm and seizes hold of Pazzi's body He snagged his hand on Pazzi's clothes and belt. His other hand grasps the electrical cord from which Pazzi is suspended. Hannibal hangs there, looking up at Jack. And then, he slides down Pazzi's body and lets himself drop, past the hanging entrails, and he lands hard and falls in the street. One last look up, and then he staggers away.

 _This day can't get any worse…_ he thought bitterly once again, limping away, bloody and beaten.

* * *

"Jack." Someone said from behind Jack as he watched the men take down Pazzi's body from the rope.

Jack turns, scarcely daring to believe he heard right.

Will stands just beyond a few feet away from Jack, tired, showing the bruises of his fall from the train. Jack has to fight a sudden urge, to run and hug Will, that surprised him greatly. He smiles at Will and Will returns it. Both men surprised by how strongly they felt towards the other. And then guilt hits them both as they look to Pazzi. Jack nods to an Italian cop and motions Will closer.

Jack and Will move through the shattered interior of the Atrocious Torture Exhibit where Jack and Hannibal fought not to long ago.

"He's wounded and worried." Jack informed him.

"Hannibal doesn't worry. Knowing he's in danger won't rattle him any more than killing does." Will said as Jack examines the vintage woodcarving of Pazzi's ancestor hanging, disemboweled.

Jack sighed in disappointment, "If Rinaldo Pazzi decided to do his duty as an officer of the law, he could have detained Dr. Fell and determined very quickly that he was Hannibal Lecter. Would have taken thirty minutes to get a warrant."

"All those resources were denied to Pazzi. Once he decided to sell Hannibal, he became a bounty hunter."

"Outside the law and alone. Here we are: outside the law and alone."

"Again." Will added.

"How's Elizabeth?" Jack asked.

"She's doing better. Her first night, she used to cry herself to sleep, I assumed it was because she missed him, but now…it's stopped," Will informed him.

"And Ichabod?"

A warm genuine smile slipped immediately onto his face. "He's great. He's a very happy child. Anything makes him happy actually even a piece of toast. He just learned how to walk yesterday, she sent me a video of him."

"Has Hannibal made any sort of contact with her," Jack questioned.

"No. Nothing. He's planning something."

"Or maybe he just doesn't care anymore. He's always been selfish in a way. Perhaps this is him putting himself first."

"I don't think so," Will scoffed. "There was a flower once. A white one."

"I'm thinking of you," Jack realized and closed his eyes. "Of course…from before with the murders. He sent her flowers, remember?"

Will nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. He's trying to repeat the past. Bring her back to him like before."

"They say that pregnancy changes a woman, maybe she's back. Agent Elizabeth Graham is back," Jack asked, but mostly to himself.

"Too many things are happening all at once," Will said, glancing around the place. "Hannibal will be beyond furious when he finds out that he's missed his son's first steps. This probably all happened because he's angry at what we did."

"We know how that usually turns out. Mason Verger is trying to capture Hannibal himself for purposes of personal revenge."

"Have you told la polizia they're looking for Hannibal Lecter?"

"They're motivated to find Dr. Fell inside the law. Knowing who he is... and what he's worth, will just coax them out of bounds." Jack informed him.

"It would be a free-for-all."

"And Hannibal would slip away and kidnap his son, possibly kill his ex."

"Actually, Elizabeth is his wife."

"What?!"

"She told me. I don't know how they did it, but they did. She's trying to find a loophole by the way," Will assured him.

"Would you slip away with him?"

"Part of me will always want to." Will admitted.

"You have to cut that part out."

Will looks around the displays of torture instruments. "Of course you would find him here. Not because of the exhibit, but because of the crowd it attracts."

Jack watches Will as he moves behind a starvation cage, appearing as though he's trapped inside.

"You had him, Jack. He was beaten. Why didn't you kill him?" Will continued.

Jack considers that a moment, then says, "Maybe I need you to."

* * *

"Come here, my teacup," Elizabeth cooed from across the lawn as she spread her arms wide, crouching down on the grass. The movers bringing in the furniture that once belonged to Hannibal, but was sold. Elizabeth was lucky enough to get it back.

Ichabod stumbled a little as he ran his tiny chubby legs across the lawn of Hannibal's house now their house to get to her. His brown curls wild on top of his head.

"Mamma," he called out when she caught him in his arms, twirling him around. Their laughter filled the air and made the sky brighter…everything was perfect in that moment.

"Mrs. Lecter," someone asked from behind.

Elizabeth froze and held her son tightly to her chest. She turned around and saw Alana who was clothed in red, looking stronger than before. She hadn't talked to her since that night and honestly couldn't face her because Elizabeth knew what happened to her legs. She was almost paralyzed.

"Alana," she greeted.

"You married him," she said. "Why?"

"I was out of my mind," Elizabeth replied and pushed the curls on her son's head back from his face.

Alana limped closer, a cane helping her along, her eyes turned to Ichabod. "Is this your son?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Ichabod say hello to Alana."

Ichabod stopped playing with his mother's necklace and waved his arm a little, saying shyly, "Hi, LaLa."

They chuckled and Alana replied, "Hello there, Ichabod. Elizabeth, I'm not here for a social call unfortunately."

"Then why are you here?" she asked coldly.

"I'm here for Mason Verger. He wants to see you."

"Why?"

"Is that your answer?" Alana inquired as she watched Elizabeth set down her son with him running away as he tried to catch butterflies.

"No, my answer to him and I really want you to him this, word for word," Elizabeth warned her as she got closer to her. "He can go take the thickest and longest stick out there and go fuck himself. I don't give a rat's ass what he wants from me, but what I do want is for to stay the fuck away from my family. I'm not stupid."

"I wasn't implying"

"I have a pretty good idea what Mason is up to since he did get his face eaten off by Will's dogs because of Hannibal and Will. He knows that they care for Ichabod and I…Mason has a sick mind, Alana and he will hurt kill my son without another thought if it meant that Hannibal gets hurt. Will too. Two birds, one fucking stone. So I am going to only say this once, stay the fuck away from my family."

"What will you do since I heard that you turned over a new leaf?"

She smirked at her. "I will break you…mentally and physically. You will regret crossing me because if you think that Hannibal pushing you out of window was horrible then you can beat your ass that my plan for you is a whole another thing. Have a nice day, Alana…and get the hell off my property."

With that, Elizabeth walked back to her with a bright smile on her face, chasing him around the lawn. She carefully watched as Alana walked away and went to her car. Once she was gone and out of her eyesight, Elizabeth turned her attention to her son.

When they walked back inside, she heard the phone ring.

"Go play with your toys, okay?"

He nodded and went to his toys which were scattered all over the living room. Elizabeth smiled as she answered the phone, "Hello, this is Elizabeth Graham speaking."

" _Elizabeth."_

His voice stopped everything all around her. _Hannibal._

"W-What are you doing?"

"I needed to hear your voice…and his."

"If they found out that you called me, I could have our son taken away from me," she yelled at him. "Oh my God…I'm hanging up."

"Let me speak to him…just once. Please, Lizzie," he asked softly.

Elizabeth bit her lip and closed her eyes as guilt filled her. She felt her legs walking over to Ichabod who was busy playing with his toys. She bent down and told him, "It's Daddy on the phone for you, honey."

Ichabod's face brightened as she handed him the phone. She watched as Ichabod answered in a happy tone of voice, "Daddy!"

She couldn't hear Hannibal's voice, but judging by the look on her son's face, she was glad that she gave him the phone. She didn't want to keep Hannibal away from him, but she knew she had to if he was to have a normal life.

 _I am doing this for Ichabod…hopefully Hannibal understands that._

 **TBC…**

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	41. Sacks Of Meat

Elizabeth tossed and turned while in bed, dreaming of blood, death, and cruel people. She shot up in bed with a gasp as sweat coated her body. Silence was heard throughout the dark house. White sheets still covered some of the furniture seeing as how she had only been in the house for a week.

She leaned over the bed glance into the cradle. She smiled in relief at seeing her son's sleeping face all squished up together…it reminded her of Hannibal sadly when he slept.

Elizabeth stood up and went downstairs and felt herself moving toward the wine cellar where Jack almost bled to death. The door creaked open as she pushed it open with her hand. She walked inside the dark room, flipping on the switch. The brightness of the lights made her squint in anger and she walked forward towards another door.

It was a basement.

Elizabeth walked down the steps, feeling a little creeped out by the room.

She didn't know what to think of the empty basement, but that didn't stop her from snooping around a little bit. She ran her fingers through the plastic curtains until she pushed them open, stepping inside a whole new world. She saw they left his instruments, but dusted for other fluids. Elizabeth's heart pounded when she saw more instruments that he used to kill people specifically the one he used to cut Beverly Katz's body into different pieces.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, touching it. "I could've saved you if only I wasn't so blinded by love."

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion when she felt a button on the bottom of the table. She pressed it and jumped when she heard a click. The wall opened just a crack, but wide enough for her to slip through.

Elizabeth stopped from walking further into the dark tunnel and stepped back into the basement. The horrors and bloodshed of Hannibal Lecter seemed to go further than some basement as they awaited for her arrival.

 _But today would not be that day,_ she thought grimly.

Elizabeth clicked the button again, the wall closing and camouflaging back into the sight of the unseen eye. Suddenly, she didn't want to know all of Hannibal's secrets. Not today at least.

So she turned around and went back to bed, making a mental note to herself to get the locks to the basement changed so that she was the only one who had access to them.

 _Ichabod doesn't need to uncover his father's secrets because of his curiosity like I had…yet._

* * *

"I do not indulge much in regret, but I am sorry to be leaving Italy. There were things in the Palazzo Capponi I would have liked to read," Hannibal told Will. "I would have read them all to Ichabod."

Hannibal returns and places a small tureen in front of Will as he continued, "I would have liked to play the clavier and perhaps compose. I might have cooked for the Widow Pazzi, when she overcame her grief. My son-your nephew may I remind you, loves Florence as much as I do…he could've been happy here."

There was a sense of sadness in his eyes as Hannibal moves out of sight, Will saw the room blurring around him.

"I would have liked to have shown you Florence too, Will."

Hannibal raises a straw to Will's lips. Will sips willingly then replied, "The soup isn't very good."

"It's a parsley-and-thyme infusion, and more for my sake than yours. Have another sip, let it circulate," he suggested.

Will does so, pliable to Hannibal's wishes. Will notices a third place setting at the other end of the table and raises an eyebrow as sudden worry fills him. He discreetly looks for a high chair and relief replaces his worry once he finds no such thing except a silver rattle lying on a chair.

"Are we expecting company?" Will dared to ask.

Will watched Hannibal grab something off the table, too blurry and doped out to see anything clear, but he did watch as he suddenly hid under the table.

Jack approaches Sogliato's door. He gently touches the door...which swings open. He sneaks inside, careful of his steps and warned himself to be as quite as possible. Jack enters into the hallway, careful, draws his gun. Hearing the soft music coming from the dining room, he heads through the archway... The sight of Will sitting at the table, drugged and bound, his head dropped, stops Jack cold. He creeps into the room, listening for any sound of Hannibal. The sizzle of butter strikes something inside of Jack perhaps fear. Jack cautiously approaches Will, puts a hand on his shoulder. Will stirs, focusing on Jack, blinks.

"He's under the table, Jack," he whispered softly.

Hannibal's arm juts out from under the table, a blade flashes. Jack's foot, his Achilles heel is slashed causing Jack to fall hard to ground.

The music played softly as Jack back to the present to find himself seated way down at the opposite end of the table from Will. While Hannibal is cooking up ingredients, Jack makes a move to get him and his face falls in frustration and then sudden fear crashes into him as he realizes he cannot move.

"I've taken the liberty of giving you something to help you relax. Won't be able to do much more than chew, but that's all you'll need to do. I didn't have an opportunity to ask you during our last encounter, but did you enjoy the exhibition? A different kind of evil minds museum."

"Not so different." Jack corrected.

Hannibal smiled and pours Will a glass of wine. Will raises it and sips. Jack stares, the incongruity of this beyond belief.

"The promoters are failed taxidermists who formerly got along by eating offal from the trophies they mounted. Things that bring people together."

"We were supposed to sit down together back in Baltimore...the three of us."

Hannibal pours himself a glass of wine now and takes a leisurely sip. "You were to be the guest of honor."

"But the menu was all wrong," Will added in.

"Yes, it was," Hannibal agreed.

Hannibal then picked up an electric bone saw, addressing Will, "You know, Will, Jack was the first to suggest getting inside your head."

Hannibal looks down at Will. Then, fondly, and with real regret, Hannibal continued, "We both have the opportunity to chew quite literally what we've only chewed figuratively."

"What do you think Elizabeth will think of this," Jack asked quickly, trying to reason with him.

Hannibal stopped, turning his head to Jack. "I'm curious to see what would happen…aren't you?"

With the flick of a switch, Hannibal revs up the bone saw. Wielding the bone saw, Hannibal approaches Will, the elegant music playing in ironic counterpoint.

Jack warns urgently, "Hannibal..."

Everything becomes black and when Will opens his eyes, he sees that he's suddenly hanging upside down. He could smell something horrible and noticed that there were raw pieces of meat hanging on hooks from above. He looks to his side and sees Hannibal in the same position as he is in.

Will hears a whirring sound and sees Mason roll up in front of them in his electric wheelchair, looking at them both with great satisfaction. Cordell behind him with a beatific smile.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Muskrat Farm," he greeted.

* * *

"I promised you a Verger baby," Mason reminded Margot.

She froze and turned around, confusion filling her. "You killed that dream."

"I can give you a Graham-Verger one," he told her. "Bring him in!"

A little boy with brown curls came running in, smiling widely at the siblings. Margot bent down and tears were in her eyes as she ran her hand through his curls. He looked so much like Will… _he is so beautiful._

"How did you do it," she asked in an awe tone.

"I had a surrogate you could say," Mason answered vaguely. "She's well-bred if you ask me. Ripe too."

He licked his lips causing the little boy to hide behind her, unsure of the man in front of him. Margot didn't mind and held onto the boy tightly as if protecting him from her brother's cruel torment.

"What's his name?"

Mason couldn't help, but smile when he answered, "Ichabod Verger."

"I like it," Margot replied, looking down at the child who still clung to her in fear of Mason. She felt connected to the child already, knowing what the fear of Mason felt like.

She picked him up and cooed, "How would you like some ice cream, huh?"

He nodded shyly. "Okay."

Margot took the boy in her arms and went to the kitchen, putting him down. She kissed his curly hair and turned around to get the ice cream.

Ichabod quickly, but quietly turned around and walked out of the room, running when he was out of sight. He ran out of the house and towards a farm where all the pigs were.

He liked pigs. They always made him laugh.

Ichabod peeked inside and saw that it was empty. Frowning a little bit as he walked inside, but then a smile broke out onto his face.

"DADDY!"

Ichabod came running towards a naked face-down dog positioned Hannibal. Hannibal looked up in fear and worry at the sight of his son.

"What are you doing here," he asked quickly and in a rushed voice.

Ichabod stopped and frowned, jumped even when Hannibal raised his voice, "Answer me, Ichabod Graham-Lecter."

"I don't know, daddy," he replied quietly.

"Where's your mother?"

"I don't know. I was sleeping and then I woke up here. I met a really nice lady, daddy…she's so pretty. She promised me ice cream, but I wanted to see the pigs instead and so I came here," Ichabod explained, his voice still child-like and innocent as always.

"What did they promise you?"

"The man with a scary face said that I was something with a V and that I would forget you and mommy, daddy," Ichabod responded. There was this sudden sadness and fear of the unknown in his eyes. "You still love me, right? Why are you giving me away? Was I bad?"

He shook his head. "Never. I still love you and I always will. You are my son, you are not a Graham, you are a _Lecter_. Don't believe a word they say to you, only believe what you see, my son. We will get out of here."

"I think they have mommy…and are doing something bad to her," he confessed in a whisper tone.

"What did you hear?"

Ichabod came closer and held the gate's wooden bars, stuffing his face closer. "Am I going to be a big

brother?"

Hannibal twisted a little at the thought of someone else's baby besides his own growing inside of

Elizabeth. The thought was very unsettling to him and he knew that he had to get out of here in order to

save her.

 _Who knows what that man wants from Elizabeth now?_

"Run back to Margot," he ordered his son. "Don't come back here until I or your uncle tell you to do so,

you understand me?"

"But-"

"Ichabod Graham-Lecter, I will not repeat myself again," Hannibal warned.

He nodded. "I understand, daddy."

"Good now I love you and I promise that I will get us out of here. Run along now, Ichabod," he told

him.

He watches as his son runs back, he felt as if he had now missed some great part of his life. He should've fought harder for her-for them. Hannibal scolded himself for not running after her and choosing never to let her go no matter what she told him.

 **TBC…**

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	42. The World Is Cruel

Elizabeth moaned softly as she squinted at the sudden bright light which shined on her. She tried to move, but felt herself restrained from doing so. She heard clanking and peeked down at shackles around her wrists. She sat up and looked around, seeing that she was in an elegant bedroom on top of a bed with chains around her. Someone kidnapped her. Again!

The thought became unpleasant to her and made her want to actually hurt someone. She was frantic as she tried to stand up, seeing that Ichabod was nowhere to be found.

"Ichabod!" she yelled as loud as possible, screamed even.

The doors burst open and she glared as Mason rolled into the room. She couldn't help, but smile cruelly at the appearance of him. She now didn't really regret what Will and Hannibal did to him. _Hell, that monster deserved more and I will repay that debt for sure._

She laid back down and greeted, "Mr. Verger...you look positively monstrous. I like this look better."

"Ha ha, oh how you love to laugh, don't you," he taunted. "I'll be sure to get Cordell to cook your tongue up to you family. You can even eat them as well if you behave."

"Fuck you," she sneered. "When I get out of here and trust me, I will get out of here then you can bet your fucked-up dog face that you will know of pain-true pain."

Mason chuckled. "Mr. Graham bit off Cordell's cheek, you know? Maybe Hannibal has grown on the both of you now. Pity for you, but lucky me because I do just love a good fight. I hear that blondes have more fight."

She struggled against the chains, snarling, "If you touch my family, I swear-"

"You can swear all you like, sweetheart, but I will get the pleasure to taste all of you," Mason replied and then had the boldness to lick his lips. He seemed to rattling the cage of the lioness. "I bet Hannibal must've just buttered you up real nice and delicious."

"I will kill you," she promised him.

Mason smirked and then told her, "I won't hurt your son."

Her eyebrows raised in shock, but then furrowed in confusion. "Why? What game are you playing, Mason?"

"You remember my sister, Margot?"

"How could I forget about the woman who was almost family until you killed her baby and made it impossible for her to ever have children," she replied sarcastically. "Yes, I remember perfectly."

"Well, I've devised a plan to give Margot her Graham-Verger baby," Mason started to explain. "I've decided to give her yours since you and Hannibal will be dead later on and he's going to need well-fit parents to take care of him. So why not Margot who carried his cousin once? It wasn't that hard to fool her since he looks much like his Uncle. He'll fit in nicely here if you ask me."

"You son of a bitch," she muttered in shock. "That's why you wanted to see me. You were planning to take him away and kill us! You ugly disfigured bastard!"

Mason turned his chair around as he rolled away, ignoring her screams full of violent anger.

Elizabeth sobbed into the large fluffy pillows as the doors closed behind him, leaving her all alone. She terribly missed her son-her little boy who held such a bright smile on his face for whatever reason was presented to him.

More tears spilled down her face as she sagged against the bed, thinking about all those times she spent with, not knowing that they were her last ones with him until he was forced to forget his true family.

She hissed a little when she felt pain on her back and strained her neck to try to look at it over her shoulder.

"He branded you while you were out," Alana said, walking into the room. "Do you know what he plans to do to you?"

"Kill me."

"In about nine months," Alana corrected.

"What?" Elizabeth whispered, her eyes wide.

"He wants a Verger male by blood and since you've already had a child, your body is already experienced. He plans for you to be a surrogate for his and Margot's baby," she explained with a hint of pity in her eyes. "You will provide a purpose and then he will dispose of you, Lizzie."

"He will dispose of Ichabod too," Elizabeth reminded her. "Once he has a male then that's the axe for my son, Alana. He's innocent in all of this so please don't let his parents' decision decide his fate. He…he means everything to us. I promised Jack that I would catch Hannibal and put him away for good in exchange for my freedom."

"Hannibal in chains?" Alana chuckled. "He would have to surrender for that to ever happen, but I still remember how persuasive and influential you are with Hannibal. You seem to have that effect on him…"

Alana strode forward and presented a key from her pocket, unlocking them. "Margot's been protecting Ichabod from everyone. Now take him with you to wherever you want to go and keep your promise, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth quickly stood up and ran out of the room.

"Mommy," Ichabod yelled in excitement.

Elizabeth and Ichabod ran towards each other, she fiercely wrapped her arms around his tiny body as his gripped her shirt. She breathed out a sigh of relief and noticed Margot slightly hovering.

"You can visit him anytime you want to," Elizabeth told her, smiling.

"Promise me that you'll protect him from this life," Margot demanded softly.

Elizabeth nodded fiercely. "I promise. I love my son more than anything in this world. All I want to do is protect him and I know what I have to do."

"Then go. Quickly. Hannibal's free," Alana told her. "Here. Everything you need is in there."

Alana handed Elizabeth keys and she carried her son in her arms as she ran out of the mansion, hearing Ichabod call out to Margot, "Bye, Auntie Maggie!"

Mother and son traveled to the lonely car that was placed under some trees nearby. She strapped Ichabod into the car seat in the back, seeing his eyes droop. She smiled easily and kissed his head. She closed the door and stopped when she saw Hannibal barely carrying Will out through the snow. She ran towards them, feeling her heart pound when she locked eyes with Hannibal.

Without words between them, they helped Will into the back seat of the car. Hannibal smiled at Ichabod, running his hand softly over his curly hair as he slept.

The car ride was silent as Elizabeth drove them to Will's house. She glanced in the rear view mirror at her brother and son sleeping in the back then at Hannibal who sat next to her.

Once they pulled up into the driveway, Hannibal was the first out as he carried Will out of the car and into the house, setting him on the couch in the extra bedroom was Ichabod whenever they stayed over. Meanwhile Elizabeth unstrapped Ichabod who awoke with a cranky moan in his throat.

"Shhh," she soothed. "Go back to sleep."

"Is Daddy here?" he asked sleepily.

She kissed his head as they walked down the hall of Will's house and towards the bedroom. Hannibal came over and gently hugged Ichabod after he took him from her arms and put him to bed. Elizabeth sighed as she walked out of the room and towards the kitchen. She smiled at the sleeping dogs who went to "guard" their master and Ichabod.

Elizabeth watched as Hannibal came back into the room, watching her as well. She grabbed a towel and turned on the faucet, putting the towel underneath until it was completely wet. She walked slowly to Hannibal as if still cautious of him. Hannibal sat down on a stool as she started to wipe away the dried blood on his face. He closed his eyes as her soft and delicate hands skillfully removed any sort of blood from his recent victims off of his face.

She let out a short breath when she dared to look into his maroon eyes, reminding her of the way he looked at her when they first met. _It seemed like such a long time ago…it's been so long and too many things have happened since then._

 _What did I see in Hannibal Lecter? That is the one question perhaps that I could never answer…_

Hannibal suddenly grabbed her wrist and whirled her around, crashing his lips onto hers passionately.

She moaned softly into his mouth before they started to tear each other's clothes off. Hannibal kissed down her body, pulling her bra and panties off of her body.

"I love you," he muttered. "Make love to me one last time."

She nodded. "Okay."

She started to pull down his black briefs and her fingers trailed over the scars on his face instead of his hard thick cock. Hannibal kissed the palm of her hand as he held her wrist in his hand. Once they were bare and naked to each other, Hannibal led her to the bed, pulling her beneath him.

Elizabeth moaned a little bit more loudly when he sucked her hard nipple into his mouth. He tugged it with his teeth a little and then caressed her large breasts with his hands, squeezing them every so often. His fingers skillfully played with her clit making her shudder in pleasure.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his lips back to hers once she kissed him passionately. She became breathless when he pulled away, thrusting into her.

Hannibal groaned as he felt how tight she still was, "Have you been with anyone?"

"I think you know that answer to that, Hannibal," Elizabeth responded, wrapping her legs around his waist.

He brought his hips down hard on her each time, pounding into her like a starved man who hadn't tasted sex yet. He sucked her pulse on her neck and kissed all over her throat then her jaw before making his way to her soft pink lips.

The sounds of skin slapping together along with sexual moans were the only sounds heard in the room. His balls slapped against the crack of her butt, tightening.

She felt the muscles on Hannibal's back tighten and then release with every thrust, her hands trailed all over his body, admiring it while she could.

"Oh, yes," she moaned loudly. "Hannibal…God…yes…don't stop."

Her breasts bounced up and down as she flipped them over so that she was on top. Elizabeth ran her hands through his chest hair before continuing to have sex with him. Hannibal watched with hungry eyes at the way her body moved whenever she was on top of him. He sat up quickly and roughly grabbed her breast, sucking it hard before releasing the nipple. He repeated this action until he felt her squirming on top of him.

They both knew that she was close and Hannibal had her suddenly on her stomach with him behind, still pounding inside of her. He held her shoulder, thrusting wildly inside of her as growls came out of his throat.

"You taste delicious," he moaned into her ear. "Do you like the way I fuck you, Elizabeth?"

"God, yes," she groaned in pleasure as she climaxed, feeling waves of her orgasm go through her like electricity.

"I will be the only one who can ever satisfy you, Elizabeth. Only me and my cock inside of you. Not any man nor your beautiful long fingers. Only me," he promised her before spilling himself inside of her with a loud moan and pressing his weight on top of her.

"Only you," she repeated to him.

 **TBC…**

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	43. Que Sera, Sera

Cold air hit Elizabeth's face as she stepped outside of the house and onto the porch. She glanced over at a young woman who stood on the porch with a sniper in her hands.

"Hello there," Elizabeth greeted politely.

"You know Hannibal?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, I do. We have a child together," Elizabeth explained. "But then again, I find myself not really knowing anyone these days. People tend to surprise me."

"You're Will Graham's sister, Elizabeth, right?"

"You seem to know more than you say," Elizabeth said. "Some might call that stalking, but I like to call it being smart and careful...reminds me of Hannibal actually which means that you're his family or are a family friend."

"I spent time with Will when he was planning on going to Italy to kill Hannibal."

"He couldn't kill him and will never," Elizabeth corrected.

"Could you kill Hannibal?" She asked cautiously.

"Can you," Elizabeth repeated to her.

A small smile came onto her face, taking away years added to her face when she didn't smile. Elizabeth found comfort with this strange girl who showed no emotion or gave away her true feelings. _Another Hannibal quality no doubt._

"Do you love Hannibal?"

"Against my better judgement if I'm being honest," Elizabeth said truthfully.

"Chiyoh," Hannibal's authoritative tone rang out in the air.

Chiyoh turned and started to walk away with Hannibal beside her. Elizabeth turned around as well, walking back into the house to see Ichabod already eating his breakfast. He lifted his spoon to her, saying, "Coco, mommy."

Elizabeth took the spoon into her mouth, eating it, and then smiled down at him. "Yum. Coco Puffs. Did Daddy give you these?"

Ichabod nodded and smiled brightly as he took another bite of his cereal. He read the box, swinging his legs back and forth as he hummed in delight. Elizabeth shook her head and brushed back his brown curls.

Hannibal came back into the house just as she told Ichabod, "Go get dressed, teacup."

"Okay, mommy," he responded politely and then ran out of the room.

Hannibal came closer to her, both watching the other. "We can still be a family."

"We're bad for each other," Elizabeth immediately said. "I will never understand you."

"You are perhaps the only one who _does_ understand me."

"No. I'm not, Hannibal," Elizabeth corrected with a sad look in her eyes. "I never could and I fooled myself into thinking that I ever could...that I could somehow be in your world. I don't belong there. That isn't me. It's not our son either. You will get caught."

"What if I can assure you that that won't happen?"

Elizabeth groaned in frustration and ran her hands through her curls. "By what, huh? Killing people? I won't let you and that sure as hell won't get us back, but only push us away. I know who I am and you know who you are. We can't change who we are."

"We don't get to choose who we love either," Hannibal argued.

"I never stopped loving you, Hannibal and I will never will. You were my first love-real love. I'll never forget you and neither will our son," she reminded him.

"Are you asking me to go away? To leave you all behind and defend myself? To run?" Hannibal questioned, his angry eyes betraying his true emotions.

Elizabeth paused for a moment and then she said, "Yes. Go. I can't worry about you right now. Ichabod's growing up and he needs at least one person there for him."

Hannibal eyed her suspiciously. "What are you saying, Lizzie?"

Elizabeth walked up to after she put the dishes into the sink. She cupped his cheek and kissed his lips, leaning her forehead against his. "I love you, Hannibal Lecter, but I can't be the person you want me to be. Neither can Will. I'm letting you go. Don't contact me after you leave because I can't stay up late at night, waiting for you, and worrying. Ichabod shouldn't have to either. I'm done. I will always love you. Forever."

Elizabeth turned away from him, letting him go. She sniffled a little and went into Ichabod's bedroom.

"Mommy, why you crying," Ichabod murmured as he attempted to put on his shirt.

She wiped under her eyes and helped him put on the clothes. "Daddy is going away for awhile."

"NO," Ichabod started to whine, tears in his bright eyes.

Elizabeth shushed him softly and held him close when he started to cry his little eyes out. "I know, I know. He'll be back sooner than you know it. I promise."

Ichabod squirmed out of her arms and towards the door where Hannibal stood. She couldn't watch as she saw Ichabod wrap his little arms around Hannibal's legs, stuffing his face into them.

"Daddy…" He whimpered. "D-Don't go. Please."

Hannibal bent down and held his son to his chest. "I love you. You are my only son and I love you more than anything in this world. Your mother too. So I want you to be good for her and try not to give her a hard time."

Elizabeth walked quickly out of the room, wanting to give them some time alone and to make a call. She went outside to the barn, dialing Jack.

"Elizabeth, where are they?" He immediately asked.

"He's at Will's house. I would hurry since he's saying goodbye to us," Elizabeth told him.

"If we catch him, then our deal is still on and the charges on you will be dropped," Jack informed her.

"Thank you, Jack. See you soon," Elizabeth said, hanging up quickly as she saw Hannibal striding out of the house and towards her.

She erased the calls and texts, slipping the phone into her pocket once more. "What is it?"

"I can't believe you right now," Hannibal said as he strode up to her. "Why do you want me out of here so quickly?"

"I don't actually. Stay awhile longer since you're so much more paranoid these days," Elizabeth mocked and stepped around him.

He pulled her back to him, gripping her arm tightly. "Tell me the truth, Lizzie."

"I have no truth to tell. You know me so you put it all together, Hannibal. I'm letting you go," Elizabeth reminded him. "I can't love you anymore."

Elizabeth ripped her arm out of his and started to stride back up to the house, sighing heavily. She looked to see a solemn looking Will with a crying Ichabod in his arms.

"What did you do?" Will asked.

"I let go," Elizabeth replied. "There was a switch in my mind and I turned it off. I can't keep doing this with Hannibal. I'm ending it once and for all, Will. Something that you should do as well actually. If not for yourself then for Ichabod. He's too precious-too innocent to yet know of the cruel world ahead of him. I don't want that life for him. So I told Hannibal to leave and to never return."

"I'm surprised he listened," Will added.

"He did it for his son," Elizabeth reminded him. "Not for me."

Will managed to quite down Ichabod and he soon fell asleep in his arms causing Will to lay him down on the sofa. He slipped a blanket on him and made sure that he was comfortable and safe in a way.

Her eyes caught flashing lights in the distance and saw that it was the police. Will stood up after leaning down to kiss his nephew's head, questioning her, "What did you do, Lizzie?"

"It was either me or Hannibal. I chose myself-my son over Hannibal," she explained, her eyes revealing no regret in them.

They both walked outside just as the cars quickly pulled up. Jack stepped out of the car, ordering some of the men, "Search everywhere!"

Jack came closer to them, inquiring, "Where is he?"

"He should be in the barn," Elizabeth answered.

"He's gone, Jack." Will told him at first.

A look of frustration and fury came onto Jack's face as he pursed his lips then pointed a finger at Elizabeth. "Arrest her immediately!"

"No," Will protested, but was held back from her by the men when he tried to go after her.

They shoved her to the wall, gripping her arms behind her back. She felt her heart drop once the cool metal was clicked around her wrists. They dragged her towards the back of the black SUV that was waiting in the driveway. She felt herself being pushed into the backseat, silence filling the air once they slammed the car door shut.

Elizabeth looked ahead of her and sat herself back into the seat. She saw Will struggle to get to her, but the police still held him back.

She felt tears in her eyes as she watched Hannibal come out of the shadows, holding his hands up in air. She obviously couldn't hear the dialogue between Jack and Hannibal, but she watched with wide eyes as they put him in handcuffs, bringing him over to same SUV that she was in. The door opened and they pushed him inside, same as they did with her.

Hannibal and Elizabeth locked eyes with each other as she asked quietly, "Why? You had a chance to run…I gave you a chance even after what I said."

"I couldn't let you pay for what I did, Elizabeth," Hannibal told her. "So I'm letting you go right now. I'm letting you live your life without me inside of it. You will now always know where I am. Forever."

Elizabeth felt a silent tear roll down her face as she whispered, "No. You're so foolish, Hannibal."

"I am a fool in love with a strong woman who always has to do the right thing in the end…even if it means hurting the ones she loves," Hannibal confessed. "I will never love another as much as I have loved you."

The door opened and Jack pulled Elizabeth out of the car just as Hannibal warned her, "When I get out- and trust me, Elizabeth, I will escape, I will come after you."

"I know," she whispered. "And I'll be waiting for you."

Jack took off the handcuffs just as Will came running towards her, hugging her immediately. She hugged him back and they both pulled away as they watched the SUV pull out of the driveway, leaving them all alone.

* * *

 **THREE YEARS LATER**

"Happy birthday to you," they all sang with smiles on their faces. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Ichabod! Happy birthday to you!"

"Make a wish, sweetie," Elizabeth told a four year old Ichabod.

He whispered something under his breath and then blew out the candles.

"What did you wish for, buddy," Will asked as Molly stood beside him with her son, Wally.

"I can't tell you," Ichabod protested with a wide smile on his face. "Or else it won't come true."

"He's right, you know," Molly agreed, ruffling her nephew's hair.

"Come on, Ichabod, let's go play outside with the dogs," Wally said, going towards the door.

"YEAH!" Ichabod called out, jumping from the seat and running to where Wally was at.

Molly shook her head. "Boys."

"Boy, you aren't kidding," Elizabeth laughed.

"Mamma," a soft voice called out from the high chair, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands.

"Come here, my baby," Elizabeth cooed as she lifted the two year old baby out of the high chair.

Her name was Valentina Lecter. She had golden blonde hair just like her mother and had more similarities in appearance to her mother than she did to her father except she did possess his maroon colored eyes. She was born as quite as ever. While Ichabod was loud, Valentina was a silent baby. She never cried when she was born, only just stared at anyone who came in front of her. She was still a happy baby, but rarely voiced her frustrations.

Everyone called her Valerie for short in case they didn't know how to pronounce her name or were just too lazy to. Elizabeth smiled down at the little girl in her arms.

"Are you going to see him?" Will asked suddenly.

"I promised him that we would. You know this. Besides they're both excited to see their father tonight," Elizabeth argued with a tight smile.

"Daddy?" Valerie questioned, her chubby cheeks puffing out a little as she pouted, tears appearing in her eyes. They all knew that look too well.

She was about to bail her eyes out.

"Shhh, don't cry, sweetheart," Elizabeth soothed. "We're going to see him right now, okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Valerie calmed down and then laid her head onto Elizabeth's shoulder. Valerie was mostly attached to Hannibal than to Elizabeth. She was _Daddy's Little Princess_ , according to Will and Molly. Hannibal always called their children by royal titles like Hannibal was the King, Elizabeth was their Queen, Ichabod was the Prince, and Valerie was the Princess. She knew that eventually their daughter would ask questions about why Hannibal was always behind a glass wall just like she questioned everything in sight now.

"We have to go right now, mamma," Valerie whispered.

"Can I have a hug first," Will asked and then bowed. "Your Highness."

"You may," Valerie said with her usual soft and shy voice.

Will lifted her out of Elizabeth's arms, swinging her around as she giggled loudly.

"Yes, my Princess, you are the fairest of them all," Will called out to her then hugged her.

"I am," she agreed and wrapped her arms around Will's neck.

She had a tiara on top of her head with a ballerina costume on that she wouldn't take off today since Hannibal got them for her. Her curls weren't as wild as Ichabod's, but still considered a little messy since she didn't like people brushing her hair.

She was a very picky child according to most of their friends and family, but she didn't care about their opinions since it was her little girl that they were talking about and she loved her no matter what.

"Come on, get her things together, Will," Elizabeth told him as Molly went outside to bring the boys in.

Once they got their things together, they stepped inside of the car, waving goodbye to Molly, Will, and Wally. Elizabeth drove for two hours to the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. She parked the car and turned to see that her children were actually wide awake.

Elizabeth held Ichabod's hand as she carried her daughter on her hip when they walked inside. Alana Bloom smiled at them.

"It's all set up for you guys in there," Alana informed them.

"Thank you so much again, Alana. I know that it wasn't easy doing this for three years now for us," Elizabeth said politely.

"Go right on in," Alana told them.

They traveled to the door, Ichabod pushing it open quickly as he ran inside. Valerie squirmed in her arms and so Elizabeth set her down. Immediately, she followed after her bother, grabbing his hand as she sucked on her pacifier which was still in her mouth.

"Daddy," they both yelled.

The doors closed on Elizabeth and it was though she couldn't go inside…even after three years, she still couldn't face them. One of her good friends which was the guard that was always posted outside of Hannibal's door, Bill, put a hand on her shoulder.

"I've got this, Lizzie," Bill said to her, assuring her worries. "You take your time."

"Thank you so much, Bill," she whispered. "I just can't-"

"We all understand," Bill replied. "I'll watch over them while they're inside."

"Thank you."

Bill walked inside as Elizabeth sat quietly outside near the door, staring at the double doors.

 _Am I coward for not having the courage to face him even after three years? I didn't even go inside to tell him about Valerie when she was still inside of me…I had Bill or Alana go in there with her to meet him. So does this make me a coward?_

 **TBC…**

* * *

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

* * *

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	44. Family Values Part I

"This is Hannibal Lecter," Elizabeth said to her classroom which was full of students as she began her lecture, showing them a picture on the screen of Hannibal.

She was offered a job by Jack as a professor at the academy a few months after Hannibal's arrest. No later had she found out that the last time she had sex with Hannibal was when she became pregnant with their daughter, Valentina.

Elizabeth gulped nervously as she continued, seeing Will in the audience, "Who better to lecture this man then the woman who loved him and was actually married to him. Now that that's out of the way, let's begin this lecture, shall we by starting at the beginning of his life? I will say this once and firmly state that Lecter does not fit any known psychological profile. Some like Dr. Frederick Chilton will claim in their books or a lecture that he is a _pure_ sociopath or psychopath, but he is wrong. It is true that Lecter has no conscience and was believed to have tortured animals as a child, but does not exhibit any other of the criteria traditionally associated with psychopathy. Truthfully, we don't know what to call him."

"Dr. Hannibal Lecter was born in Lithuania. He was orphaned at a young age with his younger sister, Mischa. His cannibalistic nature began when he was a child and was traumatized when he witnessed the murder and cannibalism of his beloved sister, Mischa, by a group of deserting Lithuanian Hilfswillige, one of whom claimed that Lecter unwittingly ate his sister as well. He did not know that he was eating his own sister at the time until later on. At the age of sixteen, he lived with his Aunt and Uncle for the rest of his time as a teenager, perhaps even after that."

Elizabeth walked around the desk and sat on it, continuing, "He is intellectually brilliant, cultured and sophisticated, with refined tastes in art, music and cuisine. He is well-educated and speaks several languages, including Italian, German, Russian, Polish, French, Spanish, and, to some extent, Japanese. He is deeply offended by rudeness, and frequently kills people who have bad manners. He frequently prepared gourmet meals from his victims' flesh and ate them, most of the time feeding them to anyone who joined him for dinner. This kind of thing amused him and the reason why he had no regret about any of this is because he thought of his victims as pigs and what do we do to pigs in society? Anyone?"

A boy raised his hand, answering, "We…eat them."

"Exactly. We don't treat them like with respect and we only see those creatures as food. Then we cut them up and serve them to others. He doesn't consider himself and what he does as cannibalism. He told me one time that it's only cannibalism if they are your equals…no one suspected Hannibal Lecter because he was charming and smart with his kills, he had this aura with him that made people feel safe. He was ordinary. No one suspected Hannibal until someone put the pieces together that The Copycat Killer and The Ripper were the same person."

She then showed the picture of the where Beverly found the signature of The Ripper on the bodies. "His signature is what gave him away the first time. It was found by Dr. Beverly Katz, a fellow collogue of the FBI. She was killed the next day when she went to his home, finding out about him. He cut her body into six pieces, displaying them in the observatory where Miriam Lass's arm was found before."

After she finished her lecture and her class left with shocked and little horrified faces, she smiled sadly at Will who was still sitting down in the chair, staring at the picture of bodies left behind by Hannibal.

"It's been a long time since I thought about him," Will admitted.

"I think that that's not entirely true, Will. We think of him softly from time to time, do we not? We were close to him," she explained. "We loved him. Have you seen him?"

"No. Have you?"

"No, I can't see him," Elizabeth confessed as she sat down next to him. "Luckily, the kids are older so they can walk in there to see him and Bill will go in there for me, but still…I feel like a horrible person for not seeing him."

"Don't. You are a good person and are trying to move on with your life, are you not?" Will told her. "We all get that. So who is this Mr. Mathew Harrison that I've being hearing Molly go on and on about in your life, sis?"

Elizabeth laughed. "He's great actually. We've gone out a couple of times. He has a son about Ichabod's age, his wife died when his son, Alaric was born. They all get along so well really."

"How's Valerie?"

"You know how she is, she's extremely shy and very quite around Mathew and Alaric whenever they come over for dinner. I already explained to him and he understands completely which is a relief," Elizabeth explained.

"She'll warm up to him, but we both know that she's guarded with every new person that comes into her life. She never liked change and we're lucky enough that she grew up with Molly so she's comfortable with her. Tell me more about him."

"He's a lawyer-an extremely good one at that. He likes to build things, he even built me a small greenhouse, already planted a punch of flowers in there. Valerie likes it since it's her hiding place or when she wants to be alone. Mathew is the kindest man I have ever met, Will. I know it's new, but it feels good."

"But not right," Will suggested. "You still love Hannibal."

"Not as strongly as I did three years ago. If I don't see him or talk to him then I think my love for him will slowly disappear. There will always be apart of me though that still feels something for him, but the other half wants to explore this new thing with Mathew. I have to try."

Her phone rang and Elizabeth answered it, "Hey."

" _We're right outside. I already picked up Valerie from daycare, Alaric and Ichabod from preschool,"_ Mathew said over the phone.

" _I'm the smartest kid in the class, mommy!"_ Ichabod yelled over the phone.

She chuckled and told him, "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. You can pick out dinner tonight, okay?"

"YAY!" The kids yelled and then she heard them conversing on what to pick for dinner tonight.

"Alright, well, I'll come out right now."

"See you soon, Lizzie."

They ended the phone call and Elizabeth smiled at Will. "That was Mathew. I have to go since the kids are already riled up about their dinner."

"Jack came to me today, Lizzie."

"Shit," she muttered. "Why?"

"Just watch out, alright? He's going to go to you probably," Will warned.

Elizabeth scoffed. "After the last time he brought me out onto a case, I fell in love with the killer, Will. I doubt that he will put me on a case again."

"We'll see," Will told her. "Goodbye, Lizzie and tell my niece and nephew that their uncle and aunt love them."

"Okay. Love you too."

Elizabeth gathered her things and walked out the building to see his black BMW parked on the street. She stepped inside and leaned over, kissing him on the lips quickly.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Mathew had dark golden hair with a strong jaw and extremely handsome features. He had bright green eyes and tall frame complemented with comely features and a smile that cut like a knife. He had muscles that he worked on at the gym, taking Elizabeth with him whenever he could. He was about Will's age, making him older than her. Mathew, in appearance and personality was perfect in every way.

"I missed you," he told her. "I'm glad you're here."

"I missed you too, Mathew. So I'm starving, where are we gonna eat, you guys?"

They all screamed out their reply and she looked at Mathew. "You heard them. Get moving."

Mathew smirked at her, whispering, "Stay the night."

Elizabeth kissed his lips. "Okay. You have the rooms ready?"

"Yes, I do."

Elizabeth smiled at him as he drove them to get dinner and then to his home just a couple of houses down from hers. They met while they were both running at the same time…he was checking her ass out when he tripped over a rock as he later admitted to her after a two months of dating each other. Elizabeth of course stopped and helped him up, tending to his wounds. They found that they had plenty in common actually. If she hadn't met Hannibal, Elizabeth would've already fallen head over heels in love with Mathew, but now she was cautious of everyone she met and whoever her children met as well.

Elizabeth frowned when she saw Jack's car in his driveway as he stood on the porch, waiting for her.

"He is serious?" Mathew asked incredulously.

She had confessed all about her past with Hannibal to Mathew and she was surprised to find out that he was okay with what had happened. Understanding as always was Mathew Harrison…except like Molly; he hated Jack Crawford with a passion.

"Jack is always serious," she grumbled and got out of the car. "Take the kids inside, Mathew. I'll handle this, okay?"

"Are you sure? I could always give him a good punch or two before I go. You know protect your honor and all," Mathew joked.

"Very funny, you and I both know that I can take you both any time and any day," Elizabeth reminded him with a secretive smile.

"Oh, I know this too well sadly," Mathew replied, smirking then looked down to her children. "Your mother likes to beat me up."

"That's not nice, mamma," Valerie yawned as she lifted her head from Elizabeth's shoulder. "Who's that?"

"It's not nice to point," Ichabod scolded his little sister. "You remember what Daddy taught us?"

She nodded. "I know."

Mathew and Elizabeth shared a look. "What did he teach you two?"

"How to be polite to people, mamma," Valerie replied.

"She told him about Mathew and he got all angry at first before we calmed him down," Ichabod whispered to them. "She's mad at you, mommy for not being with Daddy, but he told her to always be polite to everyone she meets."

"Thank you for being honest," Mathew replied, putting a hand over his shoulder. "We'll go inside and get the table set, alright?"

Elizabeth handed him Valerie who didn't actually mind Mathew holding her at that moment as they all went inside.

"Cute family," Jack complimented. "Will already told you why I'm here?"

"No, just that you came to him with a case, but he didn't tell me what it was."

"He's called the Tooth Fairy," Jack started.

"Who gave him that name I wonder? Freddie or Frederick?"

"Frederick," Jack answered in a gruff voice. "I have the case for you. Please say yes, Elizabeth, I need your eyes on this. Will too. You caught Hannibal"

"Hannibal surrendered because of his son; he didn't do it for me. We both already know that once he gets out, he'll come after us, and he will kill us."

"I'll be waiting for him then. Alana told me that you don't go to see him."

"I can't. I'm happy now and I can't face him, but something tells me that if I go on this case then I will have to," Elizabeth explained.

"I'm at the end of my rope here, Elizabeth. You and Will are the only ones that can help me right now."

"Tell me what you've got and I can give my opinion on them."

"In the last month, he's killed two families. Both with the same similarities and the way they were killed, says that this is the same guy."

"Why two families though? Is it emptiness in his heart that yearns for a family? Or it is his hatred for them perhaps? Both crimes appear to be either on or near a full moon and from what I've read from before, it might be as if he's another person…I don't know, I would have to see the crime scenes."

"So does this mean that you're on the case?" Jack questioned curiously.

"I need to see the crime scenes. Now goodbye, Jack, I have a hungry family inside that needs my attention. I'll take a look at the file and I'll call you in the morning. Goodnight."

Elizabeth went back inside of the warm house, smiling as the boys rushed past her, shooting each other with nerf guns. She walked into the kitchen, setting down the file.

Mathew eyed the file then her. "You didn't?!"

"I might-I don't know. I haven't decided yet," she told him. "I'm starving so let's eat."

Valerie carried the utensils to the table, setting them beside each plate.

"Why is there an extra plate setting?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

Mathew shook his head as Valerie replied, "For Daddy."

"In case he comes of course," Mathew muttered to Elizabeth. "She does that all the time."

"I'm worried about her," she admitted to him softly. "She depends on a lot of what he says to her. I mean you heard what he told her about being polite to you and everyone else, right? She's like his pending servant or some shit."

"Are you angry at the relationship he has with her?"

"Sometimes. I mean I hate the kind of strong influence he has on her where he can tell her to do anything and she'll do it," Elizabeth explained.

Mathew wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry. I know that it's been rough for you and probably me not being there for the birthday part must've been freaking irritating, huh?"

"A little, but I get why you decided not to come since we were going to see Hannibal after or well, the kids went to go see him. I still wished that you were there though."

"I'll be there next year and the year after that," he started to kiss her neck and jaw. "And the year after that and year after that."

She giggled and pushed away from him. "Not in front of them."

"Fine. I can wait especially for you, Elizabeth Graham," he murmured in her ear.

"GRANDPA!" Valerie yelled happily and soon Klaus came in, almost falling over as his grandchildren, Alaric included ran into him.

"Hey, knuckle-heads," he greeted. "Aw, you guys expected my coming, didn't you? See, Ichabod and Alaric, didn't I tell you that those spidey senses will work by getting bitten by that spider. Now your Grandpa is Spider-Man!"

"But you're so old," Valerie drawled out.

They all erupted into laughter and Klaus swung his granddaughter around, tickling her as the boys held onto his legs as to stop him.

 **TBC…**

 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I hoped you liked this chapter. Mathew looks like Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.**

 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time...**


	45. Family Values Part II

Elizabeth stared impassively at the the double doors in front of her.

"You sure you wanna do this," Bill asked quietly.

"If I don't this then I'll regret it later on besides...he already knows I'm here," she reminded him, tapping her nose. "I'll scream if I need anything."

Elizabeth walked cautiously yet confidently through the double doors as they opened. Hannibal stood behind the glass with his arms behind his back as if waiting for her these past years. His lips curled as he spoke, "You did always know how to hold a grudge, Elizabeth."

"I like to think that I have every right," she told him, stepping closer. "You cut your hair."

"So did you," he replied back. "You've changed a lot about your life so I've heard."

She scoffed. "I really don't appreciate how you manage to keep one foot in the door of my life. I'm not sorry that I moved on...we both knew that it was inevitable, that it would happen when you were arrested."

"Is it so hard to believe that I love you?"

"Yes because I've had to learn the hard way that you're incapable of love except when it comes to our children then that is the only time that I see love," Elizabeth answered honestly. "I didn't come here to fight you, Hannibal. I know you know something about The Tooth Fairy."

"You just informed me that I am neither a psychopath nor a sociopath so it is only fair to say that I have no idea what you are talking about."

"People are dying," she snapped angrily as she started to shove the photos of the families' dead and mutilated bodies onto the glass for him to see. "Families are being cut open left and right. For god's sakes, _children_ are dying, Hannibal, innocent children. It broke my heart seeing them like this because it reminded me of our children and what that man can do if he chooses my family for his next stop."

Hannibal studied the pictures then sighed. "I must say that your techniques of manipulation have progressed greatly, Elizabeth."

"What can I say? I had a good teacher," she snapped calmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why won't you help me, Hannibal?"

"Why did you say you loved me and yet bed another man?!" Hannibal suddenly shouted at her, losing himself in pure rage. "And the worst betrayal I have ever received is because of you."

"I'm pregnant," she announced. "Matthew knows and he was the happiest man I had ever seen when I told him. Matthew and I are happy, this is his baby, Hannibal. This is our life now, not yours. You lost me along your path towards your ambition and greed for blood, death, and mayhem. I loved you with every being in my body, but I couldn't compete with your sickness. I can't ever forgive you for what you did to James."

"His death was not my fault."

"Bullshit," she cried in anger. "I know you had something to do with it. I don't know how, but you did-you did something because one day he just ended up dead with his throat cut and his stomach stabbed sixty-two times. That's how many people you killed…the number that we know of at least. James was a good man; he cared about me and the kids. He wasn't perfect, but he was still good. Why did you take him away from me?"

Hannibal stepped closer, telling her, "Do you know how hard it is for me to watch my children grow up…to have the woman that I still love even after all this time move on without me…to only know of skin-to-skin contact through a glass wall…I can't hold my own children and it made me envious of the men in your life. David, Roger, James, Mathew…they don't deserve you. No one does and I cannot stand that they got to touch you…be inside of you and hear your laughter, Elizabeth. That's why I killed them."

"Don't you dare touch Mathew," she growled. "Please don't take my unborn child's father away from us. Hannibal, please."

"I cannot stand by idly and watch my life pass me by. You are my life. Those are my children, not his! No one gets my family! No one!"

"This is your fault to blame. You are the reason that you are in here, no one else…just you." Elizabeth reminded him angrily. "We've all changed. I'm moving on with my life and so should you instead of living in the past. Just be glad that I'm not a woman who keeps their children away from their criminal father. For now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that this isn't healthy for them to see you like this. I don't want them to remember their father like this especially Valerie since she's so young and she still sees you as the light of her life, she loves you more than me and she hangs onto your every word. You mean a lot to her and you know this."

"No," he snapped angrily. "Don't take them away from me. Don't take my children away, Lizzie."

 _Lizzie,_ she thought. _He only ever calls me that whenever he really wants something…_

"Then tell me everything you know about The Tooth Fairy and then they can still see you," she challenged.

Hannibal backed away and a smirk came onto his face. "I wouldn't have expect this from you, Elizabeth. Blackmail to get the job done."

"Well, you know me, I am very good at what I do, Hannibal. I always catch the killer in the end. I'm here about Chicago and Buffalo. You've read about it, I'm sure."

"I've read the papers. I can't clip them. They won't let me have scissors, of course. You want to know how he's choosing them."

"Jack put me on the case and I accepted. He's nothing like I've ever seen before. Thought you would have some ideas."

"You came here to see me although you never wanted to before. You wanted to forget all about me. You want me until you don't need me anymore. That's a very dangerous game, Elizabeth."

"I expected more of you, doctor. That routine is an old hat that you've worn so well with Will and I."

"Whereas you are a new woman, yes? You've changed. Are you a good mother, Elizabeth?" Hannibal asked her. "Let me have the file. An hour, and we can discuss it like old times…like how we first met."

Elizabeth pushes the file through the document tray, into the cell. Hannibal comes close to collect it.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"Family values may have declined over the last century, but we still help our families when we can. You're family, Elizabeth. You will always be even if you don't want me in your life. I will always be there, I will always love you."

"Hannibal, you don't know the meaning of love…you can't love," she explained. "That is the inevitable truth about you that I had to learn the hard way."

Elizabeth turned around and started to walk out of the room, but then reminded him, "If you go anywhere near my unborn baby, Alaric, and Mathew, I will kill you. Doesn't matter if you're the father of our children, I will hunt you down and destroy you, Hannibal Lecter."

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! YOU GUYS ARE STILL AWESOME! I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


	46. Eyes Wide Open

"Welcome back by the way, Lizzie," Jimmy greeted and raised his eyebrows at what was behind her.

"I couldn't leave my rugrats at home," she joked at the three children behind her who were doing God knows what.

"They certainly are your children…did you have another boy?"

"No, he's the son of my boyfriend, Mathew who is the father of the child that I'm pregnant with right now actually," she informed him.

"Congratulations," Jimmy told her, smiling widely. "You deserve to be happy…does _he_ know?"

"He knows. I knew that I wouldn't be able to hide it from him especially if I am on this special case." Elizabeth replied grimly. "My children are the light of my live and I would be dammed if anyone hurts them."

"He's a killer-"

She immediately shushed him. "Not so loud. I swear these kids have super-hearing or something. I don't want them to know about who Hannibal really is…it would not only scare them, but perhaps break their hearts."

"I understand actually," Brian replied. "He's their father…they have a right to know though."

"I know, but just not right now. Their childhoods should be filled with rainbows, laughter, and fairytales, you guys. I don't want to bring them darkness or sadness. Hannibal wants the same thing too…at least I think he does."

"How did the meeting go?" Jimmy asked.

"Three words: Never going back."

"You gonna have to."

"Will can do it for me," she suggested. "Hannibal is also obsessed with him. I'm sure that it would do them both good actually."

"I hope your children never have to know what kind of man Hannibal really is," Jimmy told her softly. "You're right. They don't need to know any of that."

Elizabeth looked around the room and noted as she changed the subject, "This place hasn't changed a bit. I see that you've left my office the same too."

"I guess we all hoped that you and Will would come back," Brain explained with a light shrug.

"I know…but I had to leave after everything. I was in too deep and I knew that it would happen again," Elizabeth reminded them.

"Mama," Valerie whined. "You promised."

"We'll go see him in an hour, darling, okay," Elizabeth told her when she bent down, pushing the curls out of her daughter's face. "Mommy's just saying hello to a couple of old friends of her and Daddy's."

"You know Daddy," Valeria whispered.

Brian and Jimmy gave each other a look she knew too well. Brian nodded. "Yeah. We did."

"Did? Do you visit him?"

"Not anymore."

"Why not? Daddy won't bite," Valerie chuckled causing a cautious look on Elizabeth's face. "He's nice too. Is he not nice?"

"Come on. Let's go then," Elizabeth quickly changed the subject to avoid her daughter from asking even more questions.

Valeria smiled brightly and Elizabeth picked her up in her arms, holding Alaric's hand as they started to walk out of the building. Ichabod looked around and then told Brian and Jimmy, "Sorry about my sister…she cares a lot about our father. Have a nice day."

Ichabod turned around and scurried to catch up with his family. Elizabeth always watched her son closely, not wanting him to be like Hannibal, but with every passing day it always seemed like he was becoming less and less of Hannibal.

Valerie, on the other hand, was deeply attached to her father. They all guessed it was because he was never in her life, so she didn't know him all that well, but desperately wanted to.

She kissed the top of her head lightly as they traveled to the hospital. While Valerie went inside, Ichabod suddenly stood outside with Alaric beside him. She touched his shoulder, asking, "What is it, sweetie?"

"I don't want to leave Alaric alone," Ichabod told her.

She smiled at her sweet and caring boy. "He won't be alone. Right, Alaric?"

Alaric nodded quickly. "Yeah, we never have to be alone again."

"Go inside."

Ichbod looked hesitantly at the door then at Alaric who said, "He's scared."

"Why," she asked anxiously.

"I overheard what you and Daddy's friends were talking about," he admitted.

"That was grown-up talk-"

"Did he kill people?"

Elizabeth sighed and rubbed his back when he ran into her arms. "I'm so sorry you had to hear any of this."

Valerie suddenly came back out as Ichabod cried into her chest, holding tightly onto her. "Daddy wants to know where Ichabod is. Alaric too…he wants to meet him."

Alaric stood closer to Elizabeth. "Do I have to go?"

She shook her head. "No, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

She turned to Valerie, telling her, "Tell your father that Ichabod is not feeling well right now and neither is Alaric."

Valerie seemed unconvinced, but still obeyed her mother, going back into the room.

Ichabod fell to sleep in her arms as Alaric suddenly said, "I'm glad that you're gonna be my new mommy."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

He suddenly put his hands over his mouth immediately. "Oops! I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Daddy told me not to…"

"It's alright," Elizabeth assured him. "I'm glad that I'm gaining a son. Soon, you'll be gaining either a little brother or sister."

Alaric gave her a genuine smile, stating, "I'm gonna be the best older brother that they could ever have."

 _He's proposing?_

 _Will I say yes?_

 _Is it too quick?_

* * *

Valerie came back into the room with a bright smile as she held onto her teddy bear named Mr. Pickles, the smile turning into an angry frown.

"I'll take your books, I'll take your drawings, I'll take your toilet," Alana whispered to him. "I'll even make sure that your children can't visit you anymore. I know how much they mean to you."

"Elizabeth will never let that happen," Hannibal protested.

"She's already got a new life, Hannibal. One that doesn't involve you," Alana reminded him.

"That's mean," Valerie suddenly said aloud, catching everyone's attention since none them knew that she was even in there. She always had silent feet and could sneak up on people, scaring them. That is why she is so good at Hide-And-Seek. "Why are you being so mean to my Daddy?"

If Hannibal could, he would've killed Alana for what she said in front of his daughter.

"Don't you dare," Hannibal said firmly to Alana when her mouth opened. "Please leave, Dr. Bloom. I would like to speak to my daughter alone."

Alana and the orderlies left them, Hannibal smiled at his daughter. "Hello, princess."

"Hi, Daddy," she replied after she stopped glaring at Alana.

"Where's your brother and Alaric? I would like to finally meet him."

Valerie turned around, glancing around for any sign of her brother, but couldn't find him. "I don't where he is. He was right behind me and Mr. Pickles."

"Can you please get them for me?"

She nodded obediently, walking out of the room to go see what was happening.

A few minutes later, Valerie walked back into the room with a sad look on her face.

"He's not feeling well and neither is Alaric…"

"But?" He drawled out.

"But brother was crying for some reason and Mommy looked sad too, more sad than normally."

"Is your mother always sad?"

"Sometimes," Valerie answered, coming closer to the glass wall. "Sometimes she's happy and other times, she pretends. I think she misses you, Daddy. I wish you were home."

"I know…so do I, princess," Hannibal replied with a sad smile. "I want to be in your lives as much as I can."

"How long will you be in here?" She whined, putting her tiny hand on the glass.

"All of my life," Hannibal admitted.

Valerie suddenly started to cry and Hannibal desperately wished that he could hold her, wiping her tears away. "I miss you so much though…"

He shushed her and told her, "I miss you too and there is not a minute that goes by that I don't think of you, your brother, and your mother."

"What about my new brother or sister? Do you think about them?"

"I want you to promise me that you will be the greatest big sister that that child has ever seen before, Valentina," Hannibal said. "Promise?"

She nodded urgently. "I promise, Daddy."

"Good because while I can't be there for them, I need you to take care of them in my place, do you understand what I am saying, Valentina?"

"Got it."

"Make me proud, princess."

"I promise I will…and so does Mr. Pickles."

 **TBC…**

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 **THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! I really love how much invested you guys are with my OCs and it really gives me confidence to keep writing for you guys, continuing this story. There will be much character development now because everything is changing.**

 **I do think deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down Hannibal can love and that Elizabeth does love him, but she knows that that part of Hannibal will never go away so she has to move on. She loves her children more than anything in this world and she doesn't want the reality of the world to hit them just yet. She wants them to have the childhood that neither she nor Hannibal really had and that's why Hannibal is all for not telling them about who he really is.**

 **So when Ichabod finds out that Hannibal killed people, he was taught by a cop family that that is wrong and you should always obey the laws. This is causing him to become of the protector of the family. I think that that scene was really sad because it was definitely like a child finding out that Santa Claus isn't real so all of his hopes are burned.**

 **I know a lot of you may think that the relationship between Mathew and Elizabeth is a quick one, but that is how it is sometimes. She's pregnant and he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, no matter if she has some crazy ex because it's her that makes him happy and her children as well.**

 **Mathew's story will be explained next chapter since he does something that's pretty stupid, but was in good faith. Next chapter will be mostly about Mathew, Alaric, and Will in a way. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

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 **REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time…**


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